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

What multifamily in Dixon looks like

Dixon is a small city, and its rental stock is mostly duplexes, small apartment buildings and older homes near downtown, plus a limited number of larger apartment communities. What shapes supply more than anything is Measure B, the voter-approved growth control that has rationed new housing permits since 1986 and reserves a share of them for multifamily. For financing, see financing 2-4 unit properties and apartment building loans.

Where the zoning allows it

Dixon’s districts were adopted in their current form by Ordinance 24-002. The residential chapter, 18.04, has only two districts, and both permit multi-unit dwellings in the use table.

District	Housing types	Density	Lot and height
RL Residential Low Density	Mainly detached homes; attached and multi-unit dwellings permitted in the table; mobile home parks permitted	Up to 9 units per acre	7,000 sq ft lot; 30 ft
RM Residential Medium Density	Townhomes, garden homes, zero lot line homes, apartments, condos; mobile home parks permitted	10 to 22 units per acre	8,000 sq ft lot; 38 ft
DMX Downtown Mixed-Use	Housing in single-use or mixed-use buildings	Up to 30 units per acre	Active ground floor on primary corridors
CMX Corridor Mixed-Use	Multi-unit, SRO and assisted living	12 to 28 units per acre	Sites of 2.5 acres or more must mix housing and commercial
CAMX Campus Mixed-Use	Apartments, townhomes or condos only	15 to 30 units per acre	Housing capped at 40% of site and FAR

The CN, CR and CS commercial districts do not allow housing. The city’s density bonus chapter (18.12) can add units for affordable projects.

SB 9 in Dixon. Dixon has written SB 9 into its code for the RL district. Under Section 18.04.040, a two-unit project is allowed when it meets objective standards, including a 16-foot height limit and one parking space per unit (with transit and car-share exceptions). An urban lot split must produce lots of at least 1,200 square feet and at least 40% of the original lot, and the applicant must sign a three-year owner-occupancy affidavit, with exceptions for community land trusts and qualified nonprofits. ADUs follow Section 18.19.040, which we did not review. See our guides to SB 9 lot splits and ADU investing.

Measure B: Dixon’s residential growth limit

Chapter 18.14 implements Measure B, approved by voters on April 8, 1986 and reaffirmed on November 5, 1996:

New housing is limited to 3% a year of the existing unit count, measured at the end of the prior year, with exceptions that cannot push the five-year average above 3%.
The intended mix is about 80% single-family (including attached duplexes) and 20% multifamily, and allocations are to direct at least 20% of permits to multifamily.
The City Council awards allotments each spring after applications due December 30; up to 25% a year can go to infill parcels first-come, first-served.
Allotments run with the land, are used when a building permit issues and expire if no permit is pulled by September 30 unless extended. Development agreements can reserve allotments for up to 10 years.
Exempt from the count: approved ADUs, remodels that add no units, assisted living and congregate care, hotel-type units, and the first 150 affordable senior units.

State housing laws passed since 1986 may limit how some growth controls are applied, so ask the city how Measure B is being administered today before you count on, or worry about, an allotment.

Rent rules: state law only

The Attorney General’s rent cap page shows no Dixon rent cap and places Solano County in All Other Counties. The state cap is 7.7% for increases from August 1, 2025 to July 31, 2026, and 8.6% from August 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027. The AG notes its chart does not list every local law. The Tenant Protection Act generally covers housing older than 15 years and requires just cause after the qualifying tenancy period. We found no Dixon rent, registration or mobile home rent chapter in the code’s table of contents. See our guides to AB 1482 and just cause eviction.

Dixon rental property rules

Transfer tax. Dixon’s transfer tax is 27.5 cents per $500 (Ordinance 12-004), credited against the county’s $0.55 for a combined $0.55 per $500.
SB 9 occupancy. A lot created by an SB 9 urban lot split carries a three-year owner-occupancy commitment, which matters if you plan to rent both resulting homes.
Business license. Rental operators should ask whether the city’s business license tax (Chapter 4.02) applies to their rentals; we did not verify its terms.

Groundwater wells, older buildings and inspections

Dixon maps a Groundwater Well (GW) overlay around city wells; we did not review its standards, but check whether a site sits within it before planning new construction. Older downtown buildings may need a seismic retrofit review, and buildings of three or more units with wood balconies need SB 721 inspections.

Underwriting a Dixon multifamily purchase

Confirm the district and density, and whether a PD or Specific Plan overlay governs the site.
For new units, ask the city about Measure B allotment availability and timing before you price development upside.
On RL lots, run the SB 9 standards, including the 16-foot height limit and the owner-occupancy affidavit.
Model rent increases at the AB 1482 cap for covered units.
Check the Groundwater Well overlay and the building’s permit history.
Collect leases, the rent roll, two years of statements and estoppel certificates, then run our rental property analysis.

Questions people ask

Does Dixon have rent control?

No local cap appears on the AG’s chart. Covered units follow the state cap, 8.6% from August 1, 2026.

What is Measure B?

A 1986 voter-approved limit on new housing of 3% a year, with at least 20% of permits aimed at multifamily. Allotments are awarded by the City Council each spring.

Do ADUs count against Measure B?

No. Approved ADUs are listed among the exemptions in Chapter 18.14.

Where can apartments be built in Dixon?

In RM at 10 to 22 units per acre, in DMX up to 30, in CMX at 12 to 28 and in CAMX as part of a campus project. The RL table also lists multi-unit dwellings.

Can I split my lot under SB 9?

In RL, yes, if each new lot is at least 1,200 square feet and 40% of the original, and you sign a three-year owner-occupancy affidavit.

Are mobile home parks allowed?

Yes. Mobile home parks are a permitted use in both RL and RM, rather than a separate district.

What transfer tax applies?

A combined $0.55 per $500: the county tax, with Dixon’s 27.5 cents credited inside it.

Sources & notes

Note: How state housing law affects Measure B’s current administration is not addressed in the code text; confirm with the city.

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

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