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

What multifamily in Hayward looks like

Hayward has a large stock of older rental buildings, including postwar duplexes and fourplexes, 1960s and 1970s garden apartments, and small buildings near downtown and Cal State East Bay. Newer transit-oriented projects sit along Mission Boulevard and near the Hayward and South Hayward BART stations. Hayward runs its own rent stabilization program. Whether a building was built before or after mid-1979 can change its value, so confirm the date early. For financing, see financing 2-4 unit properties and apartment building loans.

Where the zoning allows it

Hayward replaced its old RS single-family district with RL Low Density in 2024 (Ordinance 24-01). Article 1 of the zoning code sets these standards:

Minimum lots are 5,000 square feet in RL and RM and 7,500 in RH. The code says the General Plan density prevails when it conflicts with lot size. Projects of four or more units need 150 square feet of open space per unit plus amenity points. On Mission Boulevard, Commercial Overlay #1 bars ground-floor apartments.

Duplexes and triplexes by right in RL. Hayward’s low-density zone already permits duplexes and triplexes, subject to General Plan density. That is unusual and often matters more than SB 9 here. See our SB 9 lot split guide and ADU investment guide. We did not open Hayward’s local ADU standards.

Rent rules: Hayward rent stabilization

Hayward is one of five Alameda County cities on the Attorney General’s list of local rent caps. Its Residential Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protection Ordinance (RRSO), Ordinance 19-12, took effect July 25, 2019, according to the city’s tenant resources page. The city’s landlord information page explains how it works:

• Covered units. Generally units built before July 1, 1979 in properties with more than one unit. The city says about half of Hayward’s rentals are covered. Single units exempt under Costa-Hawkins, owner-occupied homes with a legal ADU and some affordable units are excluded from the cap.
• Annual cap. One increase every 12 months, up to 5% of current rent.
• Banking. Unused increases since 2018 can be banked, but one increase cannot exceed 10%. Banked amounts expire after 10 years, and a rental history must go with any banked increase.
• Capital improvements. Half of approved costs can be passed through, capped at 10% of rent, with a city application due within 24 months of finishing the work.
• Vacancies. After a voluntary move-out, rent resets to market. After a landlord-initiated termination, the new rent is limited to 5% above the prior rent.
• Fair return. Increases above 5% need city approval through rent review. Tenants can petition within 30 days.

Units outside the RRSO cap still follow the state cap where it applies. For Alameda County that is 8.8% for increases from August 1, 2026. See our AB 1482 guide.

Hayward rental property rules

Just cause. The RRSO requires one of 16 listed just causes, stated in the termination notice. Harassment penalties start at $1,000, or $5,000 when the tenant is a senior, a veteran or a person with a disability. Source-of-income discrimination, including against Section 8, is barred. See our just cause eviction guide.

Notices and filings. Landlords must give covered tenants an RRSO notice and give all tenants a relocation ordinance notice. They must file copies of rent increase and termination notices with the Rent Review Office within 30 days. A missing notice blocks the increase, although the landlord can cure it.

Relocation (TRAO). The city’s relocation summary for the version effective January 17, 2025 sets these payments:

• No-fault eviction. One month’s rent or a waived last month, paid within 14 days of the notice. Housing built within the last 15 years is exempt.
• Temporary displacement for repairs. Three times the HUD Fair Market Rent, prorated under 30 days.
• Government vacate order. The city amount plus state-required payments.

A no-fault termination notice is void if the required assistance is not provided.

Fees and inspections. Landlords pay an annual RRSO administration fee and a Residential Rental Inspection Program fee. A business license may also apply.

Mobile home parks. Under the city’s mobilehome space rent ordinance, the annual increase is the greater of 3% or 60% of the Bay Area CPI change, never more than 6%. On a regulated space, the park cannot raise the rent for a buyer when the home sells.

Building and closing-cost issues

Much of Hayward’s pre-1979 stock is wood-frame and sits near the Hayward Fault. Get a seismic retrofit review, although we did not verify a mandatory city soft-story program. Buildings of three or more units with elevated balconies need SB 721 inspections. On the closing side, the County Clerk-Recorder collects Hayward’s city transfer tax of $8.50 per $1,000 of full value, plus the county’s $0.55 per $500.

Underwriting a Hayward multifamily purchase

1. Confirm the certificate of occupancy date to see whether units fall before the July 1, 1979 RRSO line.
2. Get the rental history for each covered unit, including banked increases and any capital improvement pass-throughs.
3. Confirm the RRSO and TRAO notices were given and that increase and termination notices were filed with the Rent Review Office.
4. Check for pending petitions, and price relocation exposure under TRAO.
5. Collect leases, the rent roll and statements, and get estoppel certificates.
6. Add the RRSO and inspection fees, the city transfer tax and reassessed property tax to your rental property analysis.

Questions people ask

Sources & notes

1. City of Hayward, Information for Landlords (RRSO)
2. City of Hayward, Tenants Rental Resources
3. City of Hayward, TRAO Summary (effective Jan. 17, 2025)
4. City of Hayward, Mobilehome Rent Stabilization FAQ
5. Hayward Municipal Code Ch. 10, Art. 1, Art. 24 and Art. 28 (GoCodebook)
6. California Attorney General, Rent Caps
7. Alameda County Clerk-Recorder, Real Property Transfer Tax

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

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