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

What multifamily in Livermore looks like

Livermore’s rental housing includes:

• Older duplexes and small apartment buildings in the neighborhoods around downtown
• Garden apartments from the 1970s and 1980s
• Townhome and condominium communities
• Newer apartments in and near the Downtown Specific Plan area

The city has room for more. The Isabel Neighborhood Specific Plan calls for about 4,095 new multifamily homes around a future Valley Link station on I-580. For financing, see financing 2-4 unit properties and apartment building loans.

Where the zoning allows it

Livermore’s residential districts set a minimum site area per unit rather than a units-per-acre number. The required area also changes with bedroom count and building height.

A few details matter in practice:

• RM parking bonus. Area under a building that equals the required parking can count toward more units, up to one unit per 1,250 square feet. Site plan approval is required for four or more units.
• Open space. RH requires 300 square feet of usable open space per unit.
• Mobile home parks. In RM and RH, they need a conditional use permit.
• NM commercial share. NM projects must include some commercial floor area. The code cites both 20% and 25% in different sections, so confirm the share with Planning.
• Downtown growth. The Downtown Specific Plan exempts downtown housing from the citywide Housing Implementation Program if infrastructure can serve it.

ADUs and SB 9. State ADU and SB 9 law applies to single-family lots. We did not open Livermore’s local ADU chapter. See our ADU investment guide and SB 9 lot split guide.

Rent rules: state law only

Livermore is not on the Attorney General’s list of cities with local rent caps, and we found no Livermore rent stabilization or just cause ordinance. Covered units follow the Tenant Protection Act. For Alameda County, part of the AG’s San Francisco Area region, the cap is 6.3% for increases from August 1, 2025, and 8.8% for increases from August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027. State just cause rules apply to covered tenancies after 12 months. See our AB 1482 guide and just cause eviction guide.

Livermore is one of the larger Alameda County cities without a local program, and that sets it apart from Hayward or Fremont next door. A Livermore building has no city registration, no local rent review and no local relocation formula to price in.

Livermore rental property rules

Business tax on rentals. Under Chapter 3.08, renting a house, duplex, apartment, mobile home or similar property with two or more dwelling units is taxed at $1.20 per $1,000 of gross receipts. Renting a single dwelling unit is exempt. The minimum tax is $40 a year once receipts pass $5,000.

Short-term rentals. Stays of 30 days or less need a city permit under Chapter 5.90 and pay transient occupancy tax. The city lists good neighbor guidelines and an enforcement process.

Care homes and boarding. RM and RH both permit rest homes, nursing homes and rooming or boarding houses.

Building and closing-cost issues

Much of Livermore’s older rental stock is 1970s and 1980s wood frame, so get a seismic retrofit review. We did not verify a mandatory city soft-story program. Buildings of three or more units with elevated balconies need SB 721 inspections. Near the airport, heights over 25 feet within half a mile of a runway can trigger a CUP in commercial districts. Livermore has no city transfer tax. The County Clerk-Recorder lists none, so only the county’s $0.55 per $500 applies.

Underwriting a Livermore multifamily purchase

1. Classify each unit under AB 1482, and model increases at or under the regional cap.
2. Confirm the district (R2, RM, RH, RG, NM or a specific plan), and work out unit potential from site area per unit by bedroom count.
3. If you plan to add units in RM, check the parking-area bonus and the site plan approval rules.
4. Confirm the seller’s city business license and rental tax filings.
5. Collect leases, the rent roll and statements, and get estoppel certificates.
6. Add the rental business tax and reassessed property tax to your rental property analysis.

Questions people ask

Sources & notes

1. Livermore Planning and Zoning Code: Chapters 2-19 RM, 2-22 RH, 2-28 R2 and 2-55 NM (GoCodebook)
2. City of Livermore, Isabel Neighborhood Specific Plan
3. Livermore Downtown Specific Plan, Ch. 4
4. Livermore Municipal Code Ch. 3.08, Business License Tax
5. City of Livermore, Short Term Rental
6. California Attorney General, Rent Caps
7. Alameda County Clerk-Recorder, Real Property Transfer Tax

Note: We did not verify whether Livermore has a mobile home space rent ordinance. Ask the city’s Housing Division before buying a park.

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

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