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Bel Marin Keys, Novato: Lagoon Homes, Locks and What to Check

By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.

Bel Marin Keys is a lagoon community of about 700 single-family homes in unincorporated Marin County, east of Novato, where most houses back onto one of two man-made lagoons or onto Novato Creek. The lagoons connect to Novato Creek through navigational locks, which gives homeowners boat access to San Pablo Bay. The community has a Novato mailing address but sits outside the city, so county rules apply, and its own Community Services District runs the lagoons, locks, parks and the South Levee.

This guide covers what is specific to buying or selling here: the district and its special tax, tract CC&Rs, the lagoons and locks, flood protection and the wetlands next door, and the records a buyer will want. For Novato as a whole, including prices, tenant rules and the city’s neighborhoods, see our Novato real estate guide.

Bel Marin Keys homes for sale

Bel Marin Keys market report

Where Bel Marin Keys is and who governs it

The Bel Marin Keys Community Services District describes the community as a waterfront development in unincorporated northeastern Marin, about 2 miles east of Highway 101, 4 miles east of the City of Novato and roughly 25 miles north of San Francisco.

Because it is unincorporated, the County of Marin, not the City of Novato, handles planning, building permits and septic and environmental health matters through its Community Development Agency. City of Novato ordinances, including its tenant and short-term rental rules, do not apply. Confirm the jurisdiction for the exact parcel in the county’s records before you rely on either.

The community is surrounded by open space. The district notes that the tidal wetlands to the south are owned by the State Coastal Conservancy, and the farmland to the north and northeast is managed by the Novato Sanitary District and the Marin County Flood Control District.

Homes and the lagoons

Jack and Evelyn West subdivided about 70% of Bel Marin Keys from 1962 through 1965, and Home Savings of America subdivided the rest in 1981 and 1982, according to the district. Housing is mostly detached single-family homes, with two townhome developments: the 30-unit Gardens of Bel Marin, whose owners share a private dock on the North Lagoon, and the 12-unit Bermuda Harbor.

Apart from those townhomes, every home has backyard water access to a lagoon or to Novato Creek. The two lagoons, North and South, are each over 100 acres. Marin LAFCo’s June 2026 review counts 764 residential parcels in the district and describes it as fully built out, with about 45% of the land in single-family homes and about 35% in waterways and open anchorage.

That build-out shapes the market. New supply comes from resales and remodels, not new subdivisions, so lot position (North vs South Lagoon, creek vs lagoon frontage, distance to a lock) and the condition of each home’s dock and shoreline matter as much as the house. For waterfront property elsewhere in the county, see our guide to Marin waterfront homes.

The Community Services District, Measure G and CC&Rs

The district is governed by a five-member board elected by Bel Marin Keys voters to staggered four-year terms. It maintains eight parks, boat ramps and docks, two navigational locks, open space, public lighting, landscaping and the South Levee. Water, sewer, garbage, fire, police, schools, libraries and road maintenance come from other agencies.

Much of the district’s revenue is a share of county property taxes, but owners also pay a special tax. Measure G, approved by at least two-thirds of voters, authorizes a maximum annual rate of $1,800 per taxable parcel in fiscal year 2024-25, rising 2.5% a year, and the district projected $1,263,600 from it that year. Marin LAFCo describes Measure G as dedicated funding for the North Lock, navigation dredging and South Levee armoring; a separate Measure A funds park improvements.

The district does not enforce CC&Rs. Its site says it was divested of that authority, that each tract has its own CC&Rs (Montego Key Units 1-A to 1-C, Units 2 through 4, and the Keys Landing, Gardens and Bermuda Harbor associations), and that homeowners enforce them among themselves. Buyers should get the CC&Rs for their tract early, plus HOA documents for the townhome associations; our post on how HOAs work covers what to read.

Boating, locks and lagoon water quality

The district’s 2025 Waterways Regulations set a 45 mph limit in ski zones and 5 mph in no-wake zones, ban personal watercraft, and allow electric surf craft such as e-foils with conditions. Boats must be registered with both the DMV and the district.

The locks run on simple rules: both gates can’t be opened at once, and both locks must stay closed when not in use. The South Lock was built in 1985; by 2012 the district reported it had settled because its foundation piles were not driven deep enough, and it adopted a negative declaration for repairs and a flood-control sluice gate.

Dredging is an ongoing cost. The district’s 2002 dredging environmental review covered maintenance dredging of both lagoons and parts of Novato Creek, with material placed on the Leveroni property beside Bel Marin Keys Boulevard. Water quality is another: LAFCo notes algae blooms in 2024 and 2025 that prompted accelerated treatment, and a North Lagoon diffuser mapping study commissioned in January 2026. Ask the seller and the district about conditions on your lagoon.

Flood protection, levees and the wetlands next door

Bel Marin Keys sits beside tidal wetlands on San Pablo Bay and is protected by levees, so flood exposure is the first diligence item. Marin LAFCo’s 2026 review found flood protection adequate for the present risk, noted that the Phase 1 levee for the Bel Marin Keys Unit V restoration was completed in 2021 with a 50-year service life, and said sea level rise will increase maintenance needs. Ownership of the South Levee was under negotiation at the time, which will decide who maintains it.

Next door, the State Coastal Conservancy and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers restored 648 acres of the former Hamilton airfield to tidal and seasonal wetlands, breaching the levee in 2014. The Bel Marin Keys Unit V expansion adds nearly 1,600 acres, for about 2,600 acres in all, known as the Novato Baylands. Phase 1, a two-mile levee and a 45-acre seasonal wetland, is complete; Phase 2, which restores tidal wetlands, is in planning. LAFCo expects it to reduce demand on the primary levee system.

For a specific home, check the FEMA flood zone and base flood elevation, ask for any elevation certificate, and get a flood insurance quote before you remove contingencies. Our guide to North Bay flood zones explains the zones and the federal insurance requirement, and the natural hazard disclosure report will show the FEMA designation.

Docks, shoreline work and permits

Docks, bulkheads and boat lifts are part of what you are buying, and work on them can involve more than one agency. The county handles building permits for unincorporated parcels, and the district manages the lagoons themselves.

Where work touches tidal water, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission may be involved: its permit jurisdiction covers areas subject to tidal action, the 100-foot shoreline band and tidal portions of certain waterways, and it says most projects in the Bay and along its shoreline need a BCDC permit. Novato Creek frontage is the place to ask first. Before you plan dock or shoreline work, ask the district and the county which approvals apply to your lot.

Rules and costs to check before you buy

Transfer tax: unincorporated Marin pays only the county rate of $0.55 per $500, or $1.10 per $1,000. In Diamond’s North Bay markets the seller customarily pays, but it is negotiable and local custom varies; see our California transfer tax guide.
Property tax bill: look for the Measure G special tax and any other direct charges on the current bill.
Short-term rentals: unincorporated Marin requires a county license for rentals of 30 days or less; see our Marin short-term rental rules.
Fire zone: the State Fire Marshal’s maps set fire hazard severity zones by parcel. Check the address on the map and see our guide to North Bay fire hazard zones.
Services: confirm the water and sewer providers and their connection status for the parcel, since the district does not provide either. Its site links residents to the Novato Fire Protection District and the Marin County Sheriff.
Transit: the nearest SMART stations are in Novato, at Hamilton (10 Main Gate Road), downtown (695 Grant Avenue) and San Marin (7700 Redwood Boulevard).

Selling a home in Bel Marin Keys

A buyer’s diligence on a lagoon home centers on water access, flood exposure and the district. Answering those questions in the listing file, before showings start, saves time in escrow. Gather:

Your tract’s CC&Rs and, for townhomes, the HOA documents and dock rules.
The current tax bill showing Measure G and any other assessments.
Dock, bulkhead and boat lift details: age, permits, repairs and who built them.
Your flood insurance declarations page, any elevation certificate and notes on how the home fared in storms and high tides.
County permits for remodels, additions and shoreline work, and any open permits.
Any district notices you received about dredging, lock work or water quality on your lagoon.

Marin’s disclosure and point-of-sale rules differ by town and district; our Marin County selling requirements page lists them, and our Marin selling services page explains how we prepare and market a Marin home. Elsewhere on the water, our guides to Belvedere and Sausalito floating homes cover different waterfront markets.

Questions people ask

Is Bel Marin Keys part of the City of Novato?

No. It has a Novato mailing address but is in unincorporated Marin County, so county planning, permit and rental rules apply. Confirm the status of a specific parcel in county records.

How many homes are in Bel Marin Keys?

The district counts 702 single-family homes plus two townhome developments with 30 and 12 units. Marin LAFCo’s 2026 review counts 764 residential parcels.

Can you get to San Francisco Bay by boat from Bel Marin Keys?

Yes. The lagoons open to Novato Creek through two navigational locks, which give homeowners water access to San Pablo Bay. Boats must be registered with the DMV and the district.

Is there an HOA in Bel Marin Keys?

The Community Services District is a public agency, not an HOA. Each tract has its own CC&Rs, which homeowners enforce, and the Keys Landing, Gardens and Bermuda Harbor developments have associations.

What is the Bel Marin Keys Measure G tax?

A voter-approved special tax with a maximum rate of $1,800 per taxable parcel in 2024-25, rising 2.5% a year, which funds the North Lock, dredging and South Levee work.

Is Bel Marin Keys in a flood zone?

Check each parcel on FEMA’s map and in the natural hazard disclosure report. The community relies on levees; Marin LAFCo found protection adequate for present risk and expects sea level rise to raise maintenance needs.

Are personal watercraft allowed on the lagoons?

No. The district’s 2025 regulations ban personal watercraft and set 45 mph in ski zones and 5 mph in no-wake zones.

Is there a city transfer tax in Bel Marin Keys?

No. As an unincorporated area it pays only Marin County’s $1.10 per $1,000.

Thinking about buying or selling on the lagoons? We can pull the parcel’s records, tract CC&Rs and flood details with you, or prepare a pricing opinion for your home. Start with a home valuation, or read more about Marin County real estate.

Sources & notes

Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.