Multifamily and Duplex Properties for Sale in San Leandro: Zoning and Rent Rules

What multifamily in San Leandro looks like

San Leandro’s rental stock is mostly older. It includes:

• Postwar duplexes and fourplexes in the neighborhoods off East 14th Street and in Washington Manor
• 1960s and 1970s garden apartments
• Newer mid-rise buildings near the downtown and Bay Fair BART stations
• Mobile home parks under a city space rent ordinance

That age matters, because San Leandro’s new rent stabilization law turns on whether a unit’s certificate of occupancy predates February 1, 1995. For financing, see financing 2-4 unit properties and apartment building loans.

Where the zoning allows it

Section 2.04.100 sets the residential districts. RM subdistricts are named for the lot area per unit.

The Zoning Code also has a Housing overlay and a Mobile Home Park overlay in Title Z3. State ADU and SB 9 law applies on residential lots. We did not open San Leandro’s local ADU or SB 9 sections, so confirm the standards with Planning. ADUs are exempt from the city’s rent stabilization chapter. See our ADU investment guide and SB 9 lot split guide.

Rent rules: San Leandro rent stabilization from 2027

San Leandro appears on the Attorney General’s list of cities with local rent caps. Units outside the local program still follow the statewide cap for the San Francisco Area region: 6.3% from August 1, 2025, and 8.8% from August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027.

Chapter 4-46. The City Council adopted Residential Rent Stabilization by Ordinance 2026-001 on February 2, 2026. Its key terms:

• Start date. Rent limits bind from January 1, 2027. Base rent is the rent in effect on July 1, 2025.
• Annual cap. The lesser of 65% of CPI or 3%, published by May 31 each year. One increase per 12 months.
• No banking. An unused increase is lost for the rest of the tenancy.
• Exemptions. These include units with a certificate of occupancy after February 1, 1995, ADUs, owner-occupied duplexes and subsidized units. The city’s May 2026 FAQs also list single-family homes and rented condos and townhomes as exempt.
• Vacancy decontrol. After a voluntary move-out or lawful eviction, the owner can set the next rent freely.
• Registration. No increase is allowed unless the unit is registered and fees are current.
• Penalties. Up to $2,500 per violation per day or $10,000 per violation, with more for violations against seniors, disabled tenants or families with children.

The FAQs put the 2026 allowable increase at 2.5%. From January 1, 2027, a covered unit can therefore be raised by a combined 3.3% over its July 1, 2025 base rent. Owners can petition for a fair return increase.

Rent review. Until then, the older Rent Review chapter, 4-32, remains in the code. A tenant can ask for a hearing if an increase pushes rent more than 7% above base rent, or comes within 12 months of another increase. The request is due within 21 days. The board’s recommendation is not binding, but an increase is void if the landlord skips the response form or the hearing without good cause.

State just cause rules apply, and we did not find a separate San Leandro just cause chapter. See our AB 1482 guide and just cause eviction guide.

San Leandro rental property rules

Rental registry. Chapter 4-45 requires every landlord to register each rental unit by January 31 each year, starting January 31, 2027. The filing covers the APN, purchase date, year built, unit count, ownership, property manager and rents for the current and prior January. The Rent Program page says Ordinance 2026-002 moved the deadline to that date. Per-unit fees had not been posted when we checked.

Relocation. Chapter 4-37 requires relocation help for any landlord-caused termination. The amount is the greater of three months of HUD Fair Market Rent or three months of the tenant’s rent, capped at $7,000. Seniors, disabled tenants and families with children get $1,000 more. Half is due within five business days of the notice and half within five days of move-out. A tenant facing a rent increase over 12% in 12 months who chooses to leave can also claim it. Notice must be given at least 90 days ahead.

Mobile home parks. Chapter 4-39 limits space rent increases to the lesser of CPI or 4% once a year, with 90 days’ notice. Rent can reset on an in-place sale. Capital improvements need written consent from 50% plus one of affected spaces. Park owners must register by May 31, and a buyer must re-register within 10 days.

Business license. Residential rentals pay a $176.13 base fee plus $16.27 per unit under the city’s fee schedule, adjusted for CPI.

Building and closing-cost issues

San Leandro’s transfer tax is $11 per $1,000, on top of the county’s $0.55 per $500. On a $3 million building that is $33,000 in city tax. Much of the stock is pre-1980 wood frame, so plan 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.

Underwriting a San Leandro multifamily purchase

1. Get the certificate of occupancy date for each building to see whether Chapter 4-46 covers it.
2. Confirm each unit’s July 1, 2025 base rent, and model increases from 2027 at the city cap, not the state cap.
3. Confirm the seller has registered every unit by January 31, 2027, and paid all fees.
4. Price relocation exposure of up to $8,000 per household for any planned no-fault move-outs.
5. Collect leases, the rent roll, rent review filings and two years of statements, and get estoppel certificates.
6. Add the city transfer tax, license fee and reassessed property tax to your rental property analysis.

Questions people ask

Sources & notes

1. San Leandro Municipal Code Chapter 4-46, Residential Rent Stabilization (GoCodebook)
2. Chapter 4-32, Rent Review, Article 3
3. Chapter 4-37, Tenant Relocation Assistance, Article 3
4. Chapter 4-45, Rental Registry
5. Chapter 4-39, Mobilehome Space Rent Stabilization, Article 2
6. City of San Leandro, Rent Program and Rent Program FAQs, May 2026
7. Zoning Code Section 2.04.100, Residential Districts, Chapter 2.08 uses and Chapter 2.12 uses
8. Chapter 2-3, Transfer Tax and Chapter 2-2, Business License Fees
9. California Attorney General, Rent Caps

Note: Chapter 4-46 does not say whether Chapter 4-32 rent review ends when stabilization starts. Confirm with the city’s Rent Program.

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

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