Multifamily and Duplex Properties for Sale in Suisun City: Zoning and Rent Rules

What multifamily in Suisun City looks like

Suisun City’s rental market is built on small properties: duplexes and fourplexes in the older neighborhoods near the waterfront, apartment complexes along the main arterials, single-family rentals, and mobile homes. Travis Air Force Base sits a short drive east, and every new project in the city must be consistent with the base’s compatibility plan. For financing, see financing 2-4 unit properties and apartment building loans.

Where the zoning allows it

Suisun City’s residential districts are in Chapter 18.08, adopted by Ordinance 743 on March 21, 2017, with the use table amended in 2024 and SB 9 rules added in 2025. The headline for investors: duplexes are permitted in every residential district, including low density.

District	Density (units per gross acre)	Duplex	Multifamily
RL Low-Density Residential	4 to 10	Permitted	Not permitted
RM Medium-Density Residential	10.1 to 20	Permitted	Conditional use permit
RH1 High-Density Residential 1	20.1 to 30	Permitted	Permitted
RH2 High-Density Residential 2	20.1 to 45	Permitted	Permitted
RMU Residential Mixed Use	10 to 45	Permitted	Permitted, with ground-floor commercial allowed
CMU Commercial Mixed Use	10 to 40		Permitted above or behind ground-floor commercial

The RH1 and RH2 density ranges tie to the city’s housing element. Multifamily in any district is subject to the standards in Section 18.30.120, and downtown housing follows the Waterfront District Specific Plan. The CR, CSF and O commercial districts do not allow housing.

ADUs. Accessory dwellings are permitted in all five residential districts under Section 18.30.170. See our ADU investment guide.

SB 9. Ordinance 817, adopted March 4, 2025, added Sections 18.08.080 to 18.08.095. Two-unit projects and urban lot splits are approved ministerially in RL and RM, and on residential land within a specific plan. One local limit stands out: a lot created by an urban lot split cannot add an ADU or JADU on top of its two SB 9 units. See our SB 9 lot split guide.

Rent rules: state law only

The Attorney General’s rent cap page lists no Suisun City cap and places Solano County in All Other Counties. The state maximum 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 says its chart is not a complete list. The Tenant Protection Act generally covers units more than 15 years old and requires just cause after the qualifying period. We found no rent stabilization or mobile home rent chapter in the city code’s table of contents. See our guides to AB 1482 and just cause eviction.

Suisun City rental property rules

Abandoned and distressed properties. Chapter 8.13 sets up a registration requirement for abandoned and distressed residential properties. If you are buying a vacant, bank-owned or neglected building, ask whether it is registered and whether any obligations carry over.
Mobile homes. Mobile home parks need a conditional use permit in every residential district, and single mobile homes are permitted, both subject to Chapter 18.54.
Live-work. Live-work units have their own standards in Chapter 18.52, relevant for mixed-use buildings.
Transfer tax. The city’s transfer tax of 27.5 cents per $500 (Ordinance 345, 1967) is credited against the county’s $0.55, for a combined $0.55 per $500.

Travis AFB, the marsh and older buildings

The residential use table’s note requires every development to be consistent with the Travis AFB Land Use Compatibility Plan, citing the October 8, 2015 version (Resolution 15-17) while deferring to the current adopted plan. The 2024 amendments, filed on CEQAnet, revised density criteria and deed notices, so confirm the compatibility zone before planning added units. Low-lying sites near the Suisun Marsh and slough deserve a flood zone check. Older wood-frame apartments may warrant a seismic retrofit review, and buildings with three or more units and wood balconies need SB 721 inspections.

Underwriting a Suisun City multifamily purchase

Confirm the district and its density range, and whether the Waterfront plan applies.
If you plan to add units, compare a duplex conversion, an ADU and an SB 9 split; remember SB 9 lots cannot also add an ADU.
Model increases at the AB 1482 cap for covered units.
Check the Travis compatibility zone and any deed notice requirement.
For distressed or vacant property, check Chapter 8.13 registration status and code enforcement history.
Collect leases, the rent roll, two years of statements and estoppel certificates, then run our rental property analysis.

Questions people ask

Does Suisun City have rent control?

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

Can I build a duplex on a low-density lot?

Yes. Duplexes are permitted in RL and every other residential district.

Where are apartments allowed?

By right in RH1, RH2 and RMU, with a use permit in RM, and above or behind commercial space in CMU.

How dense can an apartment project be?

Up to 30 units per acre in RH1 and 45 in RH2 and RMU.

Can I add an ADU after an SB 9 lot split?

No. Lots created by an urban lot split are limited to the two SB 9 units.

Does Travis Air Force Base limit housing?

All development must be consistent with the Travis compatibility plan, which sets density criteria and was amended in 2024.

Are mobile home parks allowed in Suisun City?

With a conditional use permit in any residential district, subject to Chapter 18.54.

Sources & notes

Note: We did not read the text of Chapters 8.13, 18.52 or 18.54, or the ADU standards in 18.30.170.

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

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