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

What multifamily in Moraga looks like

Moraga is a small, mostly single-family town in the Lamorinda hills, and its rental stock reflects that. Saint Mary’s College sits at the town’s edge, which shapes rental demand. Expect:

• A limited number of 1960s and 1970s apartment and condominium complexes, mostly near Moraga Road and Rheem Boulevard
• Duplexes on R-6 lots
• Townhouse and condo projects, some rented by individual owners
• New mixed-use and multifamily sites in Rheem Park and the Moraga Center Specific Plan area
• Single-family homes with ADUs

Small properties change hands rarely, so be ready to move quickly. See financing 2-4 unit properties and apartment building loans.

Where the zoning allows it

Moraga’s multifamily districts are in Title 8. Most were rewritten by Ordinance 293 in November 2020 and amended by Ordinance 316 in June 2025.

R-6 nuances. R-6 is a multifamily district in name, but only a single duplex is allowed by right. Anything larger needs a conditional use permit, and the chapter includes a market analysis section. New condominium projects in R-6 are also capped at six units per acre.

Open space and spacing. R-12, MU-RR and RMCR require private open space of at least 5% of each unit’s floor area, with a 50 sq ft minimum. R-12 and MU-RR also require 25 feet between two-story buildings and 35 feet between three-story buildings on one lot.

Affordable housing. Chapter 8.180, adopted by Ordinance 303 in December 2022, applies to projects of six or more units or lots. Rental projects must make 10% of units affordable to low-income households for at least 55 years. For-sale projects in R-6 or lower-density districts can instead build ADUs with 25% of the units. Projects of 6 to 9 units can pay an in-lieu fee for a fractional unit.

ADUs and SB 9. ADUs are permitted under Chapter 8.124, which we did not review. Much of Moraga is hillside and some of it is in fire hazard zones. Those factors can limit SB 9 eligibility and ADU placement, so check each parcel. See our ADU investment guide and SB 9 lot split guide.

Rent rules: state law only

Moraga is not on the California Attorney General’s list of jurisdictions with local rent caps. In Contra Costa County that list names only Antioch, Concord and Richmond. Covered units follow the Tenant Protection Act cap for the San Francisco Area: 6.3% for August 1, 2025 through July 31, 2026, and 8.8% for August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027. Buildings first occupied within the last 15 years are exempt, as are qualifying single-family homes and condos with the required lease notice. See our AB 1482 guide.

State just cause rules apply after 12 months of tenancy, with one month’s rent in relocation help for no-fault terminations. We did not find a Moraga tenant protection chapter in Title 8, but confirm that with the town. See our just cause eviction guide.

Moraga rental property rules

Short-term rentals. Chapter 8.114, adopted by Ordinance 290 in June 2020, covers single-family and multifamily units rented for less than 30 days. All short-term rentals must be hosted, and stays must be at least two nights. Unhosted whole-unit short-term rentals are prohibited, so an apartment cannot be run as a short-stay rental.

Condo conversions. Under Chapter 8.96, conversions each year are capped at the town’s "potentially convertible rental stock." That stock equals the new rental units in buildings of two or more units added in the prior year. Applications are due by March 31, and each property may file only once a year. Where little new rental housing is built, the cap can be close to zero, so do not plan a condo exit.

Cannabis. Under Chapter 8.160, tenants may grow up to six plants indoors only, with the owner’s written consent kept on site. Outdoor growing is prohibited.

Hillsides, fire and older buildings

Many Moraga apartments and condos date from the 1960s and 1970s, with wood frames, exterior walkways and parking under or beside buildings. Buildings of three or more units with elevated balconies need SB 721 inspections. We did not find a mandatory Moraga soft-story program, but a seismic retrofit review is worth doing for tuck-under buildings. Title 8 has fire hazard, hillside, ridgeline and grading rules that affect insurance, additions and new units. Moraga’s Chapter 3.08 sets a town transfer tax of $0.275 per $500, administered by the County Recorder within the county’s $0.55. Confirm the total with escrow.

Underwriting a Moraga multifamily purchase

1. Confirm the district and whether the Moraga Center or Rheem Park rules apply, then check the unit count against the density.
2. In R-6, confirm that any building beyond a single duplex has a use permit on file.
3. Check each unit’s AB 1482 status and model rent increases at no more than the state cap.
4. Get estoppel certificates and confirm no unhosted short-term rentals operate on the property.
5. Check fire hazard zone status and insurance cost early.
6. Add reassessed property tax, SB 721 work and any seismic items to your rental property analysis.

Questions people ask

Sources & notes

1. Moraga Title 8 (GoCodebook, October 2026 edition): 8.31 R-6, 8.33 R-12, 8.38 RMCR, 8.41 MU-RR, 8.96 Art. 4, 8.114, 8.180
2. Moraga Chapter 3.08, Documentary Transfer Tax
3. California Attorney General, Rent Caps

Note: The R-20/R-24 and MCSP R-6 article text, the ADU chapter and condo conversion tenant rights (Article 3) were not reviewed.

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

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