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

What multifamily in Marina looks like

Marina’s income property splits between old and new. The older neighborhoods near Del Monte Boulevard have duplexes, fourplexes and small apartment buildings. Newer townhome and apartment communities sit on the former Fort Ord east of Highway 1. Mobile home parks and houses with ADUs fill out the stock, and downtown mixed-use projects are starting under the 2024 plan. For financing, see financing 2-4 unit properties and apartment building loans.

Where the zoning allows it

Marina’s multifamily rules are in Title 17. Figures below are from the R-4 chapter, the C-R chapter and the C-2 chapter, in the edition updated October 18, 2026.

R-4 details that matter. Developments of 10 or more units, other than senior housing, need at least 40% two-bedroom-plus units and 10% three-bedroom units. Projects of 20 or more units trigger inclusionary housing. Open space is 300 square feet per studio and 350 per one-bedroom, plus 50 per added bedroom. A single-family home built before 2005 is a permitted use in R-4, but newer single-family homes need a use permit. Mobile home parks are allowed with a use permit.

C-R details. Small infill projects get a FAR boost. Sites with 3 to 7 units get at least 1.0, and 8 to 10 units get 1.25. Parking can drop to one space per unit at 25+ units per acre near a transit center, and mixed-use units need no covered or guest parking.

ADUs and SB 9. ADUs are permitted in R-4 under Section 17.42.040. Marina Coast Water District publishes an ADU fact sheet saying ADUs need all the features of a standard home. Single-family lots may qualify for SB 9. See our ADU investment guide.

Rent rules: state law, plus mobile home rent stabilization

Apartments and houses. Marina has no general rent ordinance in its code index. The Attorney General’s rent cap page, updated July 16, 2026, places Monterey County in All Other Counties. Covered units may rise up to 8.6% for increases from August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027. Salinas is the only county city on the AG’s local ordinance chart. See our AB 1482 guide and just cause eviction guide.

Mobile home parks. Chapter 5.72, adopted by Ordinance 2011-05, stabilizes space rents in parks with 10 or more spaces:

• Base rent is the rent in effect on July 6, 2011.
• Annual increases on or after May 1 can equal 100% of the CPI change, rounded to the nearest quarter percent, and unused increases can be banked with notice.
• An in-place transfer allows one 5% increase, at most every 24 months.
• Owners can petition for a fair return or pass through approved capital improvements.
• Leases over 12 months are exempt for their term. Tenants must still be offered a term of 12 months or less.
• Park owners register each year by February 1, and the City posts the allowed increase by February 15.

Marina rental property rules

• Fort Ord occupancy and digging. The City has separate chapters on occupying buildings on the former Fort Ord (15.54) and on digging there (15.56). Under Chapter 15.56, moving 10 cubic feet or more of soil in a designated ordnance area needs a permit. Owners must notify later buyers before a transfer and notify workers each year. Ask the seller for these notices on any east-side complex.
• Coastal permits. Projects in the Coastal Zone need a coastal development permit under Chapter 17.40, heard by the Planning Commission.
• Transfer tax. Marina’s Chapter 3.08 sets $0.275 per $500. Confirm the total with escrow.
• Short-term stays. Hotels and short-term lodging pay transient occupancy tax under Chapter 3.12. Check with the City before renting any unit for less than 30 days.

Water, sand and older buildings

The local water agency is the Marina Coast Water District, which relies on groundwater and works under the Monterey Subbasin sustainability plan. Confirm which agency serves your parcel, since the Cal-Am connection limit that affects Monterey and Pacific Grove applies only in Cal-Am’s area. Confirm capacity and connection fees with MCWD before adding units.

Older wood-frame buildings warrant a seismic retrofit review. Three-plus-unit buildings with elevated decks, stairs or walkways need SB 721 balcony inspections.

Underwriting a Marina multifamily purchase

1. Confirm the district and whether the parcel is inside the Downtown Specific Plan, the Coastal Zone or a Fort Ord ordnance area.
2. In R-4, check the 15-unit-per-acre minimum and the unit-mix rule before planning a rebuild or addition.
3. Classify each unit under AB 1482 and model increases at or below 8.6% for covered units. For a mobile home park, model CPI-based increases under Chapter 5.72.
4. Confirm MCWD water capacity and fees before planning ADUs.
5. Collect leases, the rent roll and estoppel certificates, plus any Fort Ord transfer notices.
6. Rebuild expenses with reassessed taxes and deck inspections in our rental property analysis.

Questions people ask

Sources & notes

1. Marina Municipal Code § 17.12, R-4 District (GoCodebook, updated October 18, 2026)
2. § 17.16, C-R District
3. § 17.20, C-2 District
4. Chapter 17.40, Coastal Zoning
5. Chapter 5.72, Mobile Home Rent Stabilization
6. Chapter 15.56, Digging and Excavation on the Former Fort Ord
7. Chapter 3.08, Real Property Transfer Tax
8. City of Marina, Downtown Vitalization
9. Marina Coast Water District
10. California Attorney General, Rent Caps

Note: We did not read the R-2 chapter, the Downtown Specific Plan Development Code, Chapter 15.54 or the ADU section text.

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

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