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

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What multifamily in Seaside looks like

In Seaside, investors find duplexes and triplexes on the older grid west of Fremont Boulevard, apartment buildings and condominium complexes near Broadway and Del Monte, homes with second units, mobile home parks, and newer townhome and mixed-use projects on former Fort Ord land. For financing, see financing 2-4 unit properties and apartment building loans.

Where the zoning allows it

Seaside’s residential zones are in Chapter 17.12. The use table was rewritten by Ordinance 2006 in 2021, and the development standards by Ordinance 2027 in 2024.

Zone	Duplex / triplex	Multifamily (4+)	Density and height
RS-8 Single-Family	Not allowed	Not allowed	Up to 8 units/acre. 24 ft. 5,500 sq ft lot
RS-12 Single-Family	Not allowed	Not allowed	Up to 12 units/acre. 24 ft. 3,750 sq ft lot
RM Medium Density	Permitted with zoning clearance	Not allowed	Up to 15 units/acre (1 per 2,904 sq ft). 24 ft. 3,750 sq ft lot, 50 ft wide
RH High Density	Permitted with zoning clearance	Permitted with zoning clearance	Up to 25 units/acre (1 per 1,742 sq ft). 24 ft for small buildings, 48 ft for multifamily
CMX Commercial-Mixed Use	—	Permitted	About 25 units/acre. FAR 2.0
CC and CRG	—	Mixed use with housing by use permit	CC uses the same 1 per 1,742 sq ft ratio

What else needs a permit. Townhomes and rowhouses need a use permit in RS, RM and RH. Mobile home parks need a use permit in all residential zones, subject to the specific-use standards in Section 17.52.170. Detached single-family homes are permitted everywhere.

Second units and ADUs. The use table permits a residential second unit in every residential zone under Section 17.52.230. State ADU and JADU law also applies. See our ADU investment guide.

SB 9. The residential chapter does not mention two-unit developments, so state SB 9 rules apply on qualifying RS lots. Confirm the city’s current standards. See our SB 9 lot split guide.

Fort Ord housing. In the V-FO district on Fort Ord land, housing needs a conditional use permit and may not average more than 10 units per acre, excluding golf and commercial areas.

Rent rules: state law only

Rent caps. The Attorney General’s rent cap page, updated July 16, 2026, places Monterey County in the All Other Counties group. The maximum increase for covered units is 7.7% from August 1, 2025, and 8.6% for increases from August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027. The AG’s chart of local rent ordinances lists Salinas for Monterey County, not Seaside. See our AB 1482 guide.

Just cause. We found no Seaside tenant protection chapter in the city code index, so covered tenancies follow state just cause rules. Local proposals change, so confirm with the city before closing. See our just cause eviction guide.

Seaside rental property rules

Per-unit rental tax. The business operations tax charges owners of buildings or contiguous dwellings with three or more rental units a flat $7.50 per unit each fiscal year, counting a manager’s unit. Renewals are due August 31, with a 50% late penalty. The section does not address one- and two-unit properties, so ask the city whether the general gross receipts scale applies.
Condominium conversions. Under Chapter 16.28, dating from 1983, tenants must get 90 days’ written notice before a tentative map is filed and 180 days’ notice before a tenancy ends because of the conversion. They hold an exclusive right to buy their unit for at least 90 days after the public report. Tenants who are 62 or older, disabled, or have school-age children get at least six more months. The application needs an engineer’s or architect’s report on building systems, a city inspection report and a pest report.
Short stays. Seaside’s 12% transient occupancy tax applies to stays of 30 days or less. The residential use table does not list vacation rentals, so confirm with the city whether short stays are allowed before underwriting them.
Transfer tax. Monterey County Code Chapter 5.32 sets $0.55 per $500 of consideration. We found no city transfer tax in the Seaside code index.

Fort Ord soil rules and older buildings

Digging permits. On the roughly 1,581 acres of former Fort Ord land in the city’s ordnance remediation district, any ground disturbance of 10 cubic yards or more needs a city permit and worker safety briefings. That reaches ADU foundations, utility trenches and new pads. Owners must pass notice of the rules to tenants and buyers before a transfer.

Older stock. For older buildings, order a seismic retrofit review on older wood-frame buildings, and plan SB 721 balcony inspections for buildings of three or more units with elevated decks or walkways.

Coastal zone. Parcels near Laguna Grande, Roberts Lake and the bay may fall under the city’s coastal zoning in Title 18 and need a coastal permit for new units.

Underwriting a Seaside multifamily purchase

Confirm the zone. RM caps buildings at three units, so a fourplex on RM land is likely nonconforming.
Verify permits for every unit, including second units and any garage conversions.
Classify each unit under AB 1482 and model increases at or below 8.6% for covered units.
Check for an ORD suffix if the property is on former Fort Ord land, and budget for digging permits on site work.
Collect leases, the rent roll and estoppel certificates, and confirm the per-unit business tax is paid.
Rebuild expenses with reassessed taxes, insurance and deck inspections in our rental property analysis.

Questions people ask

Can I build a duplex in Seaside?

Yes, in the RM and RH zones, where duplexes and triplexes are permitted with a zoning clearance. The RS zones allow one home plus a second unit.

Where are apartment buildings allowed?

In RH at up to 25 units per acre and 48 feet, and in CMX. CC and CRG allow housing in mixed-use projects with a use permit.

Does Seaside have rent control?

Not on the Attorney General’s chart, which lists only Salinas in Monterey County. AB 1482 caps apply to covered units.

What tax does a Seaside landlord pay?

Owners of three or more rental units pay $7.50 per unit per year under the business operations tax. Ask the city how smaller properties are treated.

What happens to tenants if I convert to condominiums?

They get 90 days’ notice before the map is filed, 180 days before termination, and a 90-day exclusive right to buy.

Do I need a permit to dig on former Fort Ord land?

Yes, for 10 cubic yards or more in the ordnance remediation district.

Are mobile home parks allowed?

With a use permit in the residential zones.

Sources & notes

Note: We did not review the affordable housing chapters (17.32 and 17.33), the second unit standards in 17.52.230, or any city short-term rental rule, and found no Seaside rent or tenant chapter in the code index.

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

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