Multifamily and Duplex Properties for Sale in Clarksburg: Zoning and Rent Rules

What multifamily in Clarksburg looks like

Clarksburg is a small Delta farm town, so "multifamily" rarely means an apartment complex. The rental housing investors actually find here is a duplex or a house with an ADU in town, a second or third home on a vineyard or farm parcel, farmworker housing, and the occasional mixed property with a home over a shop. Larger housing has been proposed only on special sites, such as the former sugar mill. Any purchase has to work around flood rules, septic and well capacity, and county farmland policy. For financing small properties, read financing 2-4 unit properties; for larger buildings, see apartment building loans.

Where the zoning allows it

Clarksburg is unincorporated, so Yolo County’s Article 5 and Article 4 apply:

The code does not list Clarksburg among the towns mapped for the denser R-M or R-H zones, and R-H requires both public water and public sewer. On parcels without public water or wastewater service, a two-acre minimum applies to new building permits, which in practice limits new multi-unit buildings.

ADUs. New ADUs need four-foot side and rear setbacks and one parking space unless an exemption applies, and an attached ADU can add up to half the existing living area, to 1,200 square feet. See our ADU investment guide.

SB 9. SB 9 applies only to single-family zones in urbanized areas, and Clarksburg farmland and many town parcels may not qualify; ask the county for a parcel answer. See our SB 9 lot split guide.

The Old Sugar Mill. A 2004 draft EIR on CEQAnet described an Old Sugar Mill Specific Plan of about 106 acres with 145 housing units alongside commercial and industrial uses. We did not confirm what was approved or built.

Rent rules: state law only

The Attorney General’s rent cap page, updated July 16, 2026, lists no local rent stabilization in Yolo County and places it under All Other Counties: covered units may rise up to 7.7% for increases from August 1, 2025 and up to 8.6% from August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027. Many Clarksburg rentals are single-family homes owned by individuals, which can be exempt from the cap if the required notice was given, so classify each unit. The state’s just cause rules also apply to covered tenancies. See our AB 1482 guide and just cause eviction guide.

Clarksburg rental property rules

• Floodplain findings. Under Section 8-2.506(o), residential projects in the 100-year and 200-year floodplain must meet FEMA and county flood rules, discretionary and ministerial residential projects there need specific findings, and building near the toe of a levee is restricted.
• Delta review. Discretionary approvals on Clarksburg farmland must be consistent with the Delta Protection Commission‘s Land Use and Resource Management Plan, which the Commission can enforce through appeals.
• Inclusionary housing. County inclusionary rules in Title 8, Chapter 8 apply to new rental projects of seven or more units, which matters mainly for a large site such as the sugar mill.
• Short stays. Stays of 30 days or less pay county transient occupancy tax, 8% according to the county’s May 2026 Board presentation, which proposed asking voters to raise it to 12%; we did not confirm the measure’s ballot status or result.
• Transfer tax. Only the county’s $0.55 per $500 applies, under Section 3-2.04.

Flood, septic and older homes

Clarksburg sits behind Sacramento River levees, and lenders often require flood insurance; get a quote early. Most properties rely on private wells and septic systems, so septic capacity usually decides whether an added unit or ADU is feasible; order septic and well tests before you write a contract. Older farmhouses and town homes may need foundation and seismic retrofit review, and any building of three or more units with elevated balconies needs SB 721 balcony inspections.

Underwriting a Clarksburg multifamily purchase

1. Confirm the zone, overlay and whether each existing unit is permitted, especially second and third farm homes.
2. Check flood zone, levee distance and insurance cost.
3. Test the well and septic system, and confirm septic capacity for every unit you plan to rent.
4. Classify units under AB 1482 and model covered increases at or below 8.6%.
5. Collect leases, the rent roll and estoppel certificates, plus any farmworker housing agreements.
6. Rebuild expenses with reassessed taxes and any Williamson Act effects in our rental property analysis.

Questions people ask

Sources & notes

1. California Attorney General, Rent Caps
2. Yolo County Code Title 8, Chapter 2, Article 5, Residential Zones (GoCodebook)
3. Article 4, Section 8-2.401, Clarksburg Agricultural District
4. Title 8, Chapter 8, Inclusionary Housing
5. Delta Protection Commission
6. CEQAnet, Old Sugar Mill Specific Plan, SCH 2003022104
7. Yolo County Board of Supervisors, TOT presentation, May 26, 2026
8. Yolo County Code Section 3-2.04

Note: We did not read the Clarksburg Area Community Plan, Section 8-2.402’s siting criteria or the Delta plan text, and we did not confirm which water or sewer systems serve town parcels. Well, septic, levee and owner-type notes are general guidance.

General information, not legal or tax advice. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.

Related: Clarksburg real estate guide · Commercial real estate in Clarksburg · Multifamily investing guide · Investor services