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

What multifamily in Fairfield looks like

Fairfield’s rental stock ranges from older duplexes, fourplexes and small apartment buildings in the neighborhoods around downtown and West Texas Street, to larger garden-style complexes on the arterials, to newer projects planned around the Fairfield Transportation Center and the Suisun-Fairfield train station. Duplexes and duets also appear inside low-medium density subdivisions, where the zoning permits them. For financing, see financing 2-4 unit properties and apartment building loans.

Where the zoning allows it

Fairfield’s residential districts are in Section 25.20 of the zoning ordinance, most recently amended by Ordinance 2026-01. Densities are stated per gross acre.

District	Density (units per gross acre)	Duplex	Multifamily
RVL Very Low Density	Up to 2.5	Not permitted	Not permitted
RL Low Density	2.5 to 4.5	Conditional use permit	Not permitted
RLM Low Medium Density	4.5 to 8 (lower by lot-size suffix)	Permitted, with duets	Conditional; 1-acre minimum project
RM Medium Density	10 to 18	Permitted	Permitted (triplexes, fourplexes, townhouses, condos); 3-acre minimum project
RH High Density	19 to 25	Permitted	Permitted, on collector and arterial roads; 3-acre minimum project
RVH Very High Density	26 to 40	Not permitted	Permitted, typically three to four stories near transit or jobs
HR and HTD (Heart of Fairfield)	Medium (HR) and very high (HTD)	Per Table 25-H1	Small apartment buildings in HR; high-density housing near the train station in HTD

The code’s minimum project sizes for new RM, RH and RVH development (3 acres, with 200 by 200 foot dimensions) matter for infill: on a smaller lot, ask the Planning Division how the minimum applies before you plan new units. In the CM Mixed Commercial and CO Office districts, Section 25.22 also allows multifamily or mixed-use housing; the CR and CS districts do not allow housing. Housing projects can use the city’s density bonus chapter (25.38), and certain projects get ministerial review against objective design standards.

ADUs and SB 9. Section 25.20 lists ADUs and JADUs in every residential district, governed by Section 25.20.4.11, which we did not review; state ADU law sets minimum allowances. SB 9 lot splits and two-unit projects can apply in the single-family RVL and RL zones of an urbanized city like Fairfield, subject to state exceptions. See our SB 9 lot split guide and ADU investment guide.

Rent rules: state law only

The Attorney General’s rent cap page lists no Fairfield rent cap and puts Solano County under All Other Counties. The state cap there is 7.7% for increases from August 1, 2025 through July 31, 2026, and 8.6% for increases from August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027. The AG notes the chart is not a full list of local rules. The Tenant Protection Act generally reaches housing more than 15 years old and requires just cause to end a tenancy after the qualifying period. See our AB 1482 guide and just cause eviction guide.

Fairfield rental property rules

Relocation for unsafe or illegal units. Fairfield’s tenant relocation ordinance, Sections 27.1201 to 27.1206 (Ordinance 2009-18), applies when tenants are ordered out because a unit is unsafe, hazardous or an illegal residential use:

The owner pays each tenant either two months of HUD fair market rent for a comparable unit or two months of the tenant’s actual rent if higher, plus a utility deposit amount, or a written alternative agreement the tenant signs.
With under 30 days’ notice, the owner adds a third month or 30 days of free comparable housing, at the tenant’s choice.
Payment is due within 10 days of the notice or 20 days before move-out, whichever is later; late payment raises the amount to one and a half times.
The owner must report proof of payment to the police department within one business day and offer a right to return once the unit is habitable.
No rent increase is allowed while city-ordered repairs proceed with tenants in place.
Exceptions include tenants who caused the conditions or owed rent when they left.

This is a real cost when buying a building with unpermitted units or deferred maintenance, so price it before you close.

Mobile home parks. Fairfield has a separate mobile home parks chapter (Chapter 29); we did not confirm whether it regulates space rents.

Transfer tax. The city’s transfer tax of 27.5 cents per $500 is credited against the county’s $0.55, so the combined charge should be $0.55 per $500.

Travis AFB, flood and building issues

East Fairfield housing sits within the Travis AFB compatibility plan area. The 2024 plan amendments, filed on CEQAnet, revised density criteria and deed notice rules, so new units near the base may face caps and a recorded notice. Fairfield also has flood damage prevention (Chapter 8A) and fire hazard severity zone (Chapter 8B) rules worth checking on hillside and creekside lots. For older wood-frame apartments, consider a seismic retrofit review, and for three or more units with wood balconies, SB 721 inspections.

Underwriting a Fairfield multifamily purchase

Confirm the district and density range, and whether the site falls in the Heart of Fairfield or a PD zone.
For value-add plans, test the 3-acre minimum and density per gross acre before counting new units.
Model rent growth at the AB 1482 cap for covered units.
Inspect for unpermitted units and code issues, and price the relocation ordinance’s two-month payments if any unit could be red-tagged.
Near Travis, check the compatibility zone and any required deed notice; on creekside lots, check flood rules.
Collect leases, the rent roll, two years of statements and estoppel certificates, then run our rental property analysis.

Questions people ask

Does Fairfield have rent control?

Not on the Attorney General’s chart. Covered units follow the state cap, 8.6% for increases from August 1, 2026.

Where are apartments allowed in Fairfield?

By right in RM, RH and RVH, in the Heart of Fairfield HR and HTD districts, and in CM and CO as part of mixed use. RLM allows them with a use permit.

Can I build a duplex in a Fairfield single-family neighborhood?

In RLM, duplexes and duets are permitted. In RL, a duplex needs a conditional use permit. RVL does not allow them, though SB 9 may apply.

What does a landlord owe if the city red-tags a unit?

Usually two months of fair market rent or actual rent, whichever the owner’s option provides, plus a utility deposit amount, paid on a strict schedule.

Is there high-density housing near the train station?

Yes. The HTD district in southeast downtown is planned as a high-density neighborhood linked to the Suisun-Fairfield station.

Does Travis Air Force Base limit apartment density?

It can. The compatibility plan sets density criteria by zone and was amended in 2024.

What is the transfer tax on a Fairfield sale?

The county’s $0.55 per $500, with Fairfield’s 27.5 cents credited inside it.

Sources & notes

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

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