Multifamily and Duplex Properties for Sale in Stinson Beach: Zoning and Rent Rules

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What multifamily in Stinson Beach looks like

Stinson Beach is mostly second homes. The Marin LAFCo service review cites the 2020 Census at 751 housing units, only 290 of them occupied year-round, and 541 residents. Income property here usually means a house with a legal second unit, a few older cottages on one lot, or an apartment above or behind a Highway 1 storefront. Apartment buildings are close to nonexistent. Because every lot is on septic, the number of legal bedrooms a system is permitted for usually caps the rent roll. For financing, see financing 2-4 unit properties and apartment building loans.

Where the zoning allows it

Stinson Beach is unincorporated and entirely in the Coastal Zone. Housing types are set by the county’s coastal districts (Chapter 20.62), and most projects need a Coastal Development Permit.

Coastal district	Two-family	Multifamily	Housing notes
C-VCR Village Commercial/Residential	Use permit	Use permit	ADUs permitted. In the commercial core, housing on upper floors or away from the road
C-R2 Two-Family	Principal permitted	Not allowed	Where mapped. ADUs permitted
C-RMP Multiple Planned	Principal permitted	Principal permitted	Where mapped. No fixed setbacks
C-R1 Single-Family	Not allowed	Not allowed	ADUs principally permitted, subject to septic
C-RA Residential-Agricultural	Not allowed	Not allowed	Used around the community center on Belvedere Avenue
C-RSPS Seadrift Subdivision	Not allowed	Not allowed	Single-family on the sandspit. ADUs principally permitted

The county’s current file for the community center at 30 Belvedere Avenue shows typical village zoning of C-R1 and C-RA-B5, with countywide plan designations C-SF3 and C-SF6. Check the zoning map for any C-R2 or C-RMP parcels before you count on a duplex or more.

ADUs. ADUs are principally permitted in every coastal residential district. In Stinson Beach, a new unit also needs approval from the water district’s onsite wastewater program and a water connection, with a new single-family connection fee of $17,500. See our ADU investment guide.

SB 9. SB 9 splits generally need adequate services and are barred on many hazard parcels, such as flood and coastal hazard areas. Coastal permit review also applies. Low-lying Seadrift and village parcels on septic are unlikely candidates. Confirm with the county and see our SB 9 lot split guide.

Rent rules: state law plus Marin County’s just cause and mediation

Rent caps. The Attorney General’s rent cap page places Marin County in the San Francisco Area region. The cap for covered units is 6.3% for increases from August 1, 2025, and 8.8% from August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027. There is no local rent cap. See our AB 1482 guide.

County just cause. Because Stinson Beach is unincorporated, Marin’s just cause ordinance applies. That is Ordinance 3705, Chapter 5.100, adopted December 18, 2018. It covers lots with three or more dwelling units, and vacant, owner-occupied and short-term rental units all count toward the three. Permitted ADUs and JADUs do not count. Unpermitted cottages do, so a beach lot with a main house and two unpermitted cottages can be covered. See our just cause eviction guide.

Mandatory mediation. Under the county’s mediation program, a tenant facing an increase of more than 5% in 12 months can require mediation. A landlord who does not take part in good faith risks having the increase deemed invalid.

Stinson Beach rental property rules

Short-term rental cap. The county’s Chapter 5.41 caps Stinson Beach at 192 licenses. It allows one license per owner and one short-term rental per property. Multifamily and condominium units qualify only if legally operating on January 1, 2024, and cannot renew after two years. ADUs created or legalized after 2020 or 2021 are excluded. On a multi-unit lot, plan for long-term tenancies on all but at most one unit.
Business license. Rental units in unincorporated Marin need a county business license, renewed by July 31.
Transfer tax. Only the county’s $0.55 per $500 applies, per the Recorder’s sheet.

Septic permits, water and the shoreline

The Stinson Beach County Water District runs one of the few district-level septic programs in California. The LAFCo review explains that it was created largely because of septic seepage concerns. Under the district’s Title IV code, each system carries a renewable two-year permit with routine inspections, and the district can enter a property if an owner does not cooperate. For a multi-unit buyer, the permit shows how many bedrooms or units the system is approved for. That number, not the zoning, is often the real cap.

Water comes from four creeks and four wells, mainly Stinson Gulch Creek, treated at the Laurel facility built in 2012, and the district has a rationing ordinance for drought emergencies. Low village and Seadrift lots also face flood and coastal hazard exposure. Older wood-frame cottages may need a seismic retrofit review. Buildings with three or more units and elevated decks need SB 721 inspections.

Underwriting a Stinson Beach multifamily purchase

Get the water district’s septic permit and inspection history, and confirm the units and bedrooms it covers.
Confirm the coastal district and the permit status of every unit, since unpermitted units count for the county’s just cause threshold.
Decide whether county just cause applies (three or more units on the lot) and classify each unit under AB 1482.
Model increases at or below 8.8%, and plan for mediation above 5%.
Collect leases, the rent roll and estoppel certificates, and confirm any STR license status and its expiry.
Rebuild expenses with reassessed taxes, flood insurance and septic upkeep in our rental property analysis.

Questions people ask

Does Stinson Beach have rent control?

No local cap. AB 1482 applies to covered units, at 8.8% for increases from August 1, 2026, and the county requires mediation on increases above 5%.

Does Marin County’s just cause ordinance apply here?

Yes, to lots with three or more dwelling units. Permitted ADUs and JADUs do not count, but unpermitted units do.

Can I add an ADU to a Stinson Beach house?

ADUs are principally permitted in the coastal residential districts. The unit still needs septic approval from the water district and a water connection.

Can each unit of a duplex be a vacation rental?

No. The county allows one short-term rental per property and one license per owner, within a 192-license cap.

Where are apartments allowed?

Multifamily is allowed by use permit in C-VCR, and principally permitted in C-RMP where mapped. Most of the village is single-family.

Who regulates septic systems in Stinson Beach?

The Stinson Beach County Water District, under its Title IV Onsite Wastewater Management Code.

Sources & notes

Note: We did not confirm whether any C-R2 or C-RMP parcels are mapped in Stinson Beach. We also did not read the district’s Title IV code text or the 1985 community plan.

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

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