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

What multifamily in Yountville looks like

Yountville is a small town, and its income property is a short list: duplexes and small apartment buildings in the Mixed Residential districts, units above or behind Washington Street businesses, homes with ADUs, and mobile home parks that the Town has zoned specifically to keep them in place. Every residential rental in town needs an annual Town permit, and short-term rental advertising is barred, so long-term tenancy drives the numbers. For financing, see financing 2-4 unit properties and apartment building loans.

Where the zoning allows it

RM housing mix. RM is the town’s "variety of housing" district, and it sets a mix: at least half of the units on a site must be detached single-family and at least a quarter multifamily. The mix can be waived for affordable projects. RM-2, adopted by Ordinance 22-513, has no such mix rule and doubles the top density.

Master Development Plans. In both RM districts, subdividing or developing five or more parcels or units requires a Master Development Plan, and new structures need design review. Duplex and multifamily units need 200 square feet of private open space each.

Required rental units downtown. On two RSC parcels on the east side of Washington Street (APNs 036-054-022 and -023), any development must include at least two second-story residential rental units.

ADUs. Under Chapter 17.156, last amended by Ordinance 25-532 on July 15, 2025, ADUs may reach 850 square feet, or 1,000 with more than one bedroom, and JADUs 500 square feet. A single-family lot may have one ADU and one JADU. Renting an ADU or JADU for under 30 days is prohibited, and a JADU requires an owner-occupancy restriction recorded before permit. The excerpt we reviewed did not state limits for multifamily lots, so confirm those with the Town. See our ADU investment guide.

SB 9. The Town implements state two-unit and lot split rules in Chapter 17.158. See our SB 9 lot split guide.

Affordable housing. Density bonuses are in Chapter 17.160 and an Affordable Housing Overlay is in Chapter 17.80; we did not review either for this page.

Rent rules: state law only

Rent caps. The Attorney General’s rent cap page, updated July 16, 2026, places Napa County in All Other Counties. Covered units may rise up to 7.7% for increases from August 1, 2025, and 8.6% from August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027. No Napa County city appears on the AG’s chart of local apartment rent ordinances. Yountville’s code index has no rent stabilization chapter, and its mobile home park zoning chapter states no rent rules. See our AB 1482 guide and just cause eviction guide.

Yountville rental property rules

• Annual rental unit permit. Under Chapter 8.08 (Ordinances 17-460, 18-470 and 19-482), every residential rental unit, from a single-family home to an apartment, condo, second unit or rented room, needs a Town permit renewed each January 1. A landlord may not collect rent without a valid permit, and permits do not transfer to a new landlord. A buyer must apply in their own name.
• Permit number in ads. Every rental listing must show the permit number.
• Short-term rentals. Landlords and booking platforms may not advertise a short-term rental unit, and platforms must report listings to the Town at least quarterly.
• Enforcement. Each day a violation continues counts separately, under the Town’s administrative enforcement chapter.
• Mobile home parks. The MHP chapter exists to protect residents from conversion of parks to conventional housing. Parks established before the title was adopted are treated as conforming, with their Master Development Plans approved; changes go through the plan process.
• Transfer tax. The Town’s transfer tax chapter states $1.10 per $1,000. The County’s page describes a combined $0.55 per $500 with half to the city; confirm the total on the escrow estimate.

Building and site issues

Older wood-frame buildings warrant a seismic retrofit review, and buildings of three or more units with elevated decks or balconies need SB 721 balcony inspections. Because duplex and multifamily floor area is capped at 3,200 and 4,000 square feet per lot, check whether an existing building already exceeds today’s limits and would be nonconforming. Utility connection fees generally do not apply to an ADU unless it is built with a new dwelling.

Underwriting a Yountville multifamily purchase

1. Confirm the zone and count units against the RM or RM-2 density range and floor area caps.
2. Confirm every unit holds a current Chapter 8.08 permit, and plan to register in your name at closing.
3. Underwrite long-term rents only; short-term rental advertising is barred.
4. Classify units under AB 1482 and model increases at or below 8.6% for covered units.
5. Collect leases, the rent roll and estoppel certificates.
6. Rebuild expenses with reassessed taxes, the registration fee, insurance and Town utility charges in our rental property analysis.

Questions people ask

Sources & notes

1. Yountville Chapter 17.24, RM and Chapter 17.26, RM-2 (GoCodebook)
2. Yountville Chapter 17.36, MHP
3. Yountville Chapter 17.56, RSC
4. Yountville Chapter 17.156, ADUs
5. Yountville Chapter 8.08, Rental Property Registration
6. Yountville Chapter 3.20, Documentary Transfer Tax
7. California Attorney General, Rent Caps
8. Napa County, Document Transfer Tax

Note: We did not review Chapters 17.158 (SB 9), 17.160 (affordable housing), 17.80 (Affordable Housing Overlay) or 17.88 (senior park overlay), the registration fee resolution, or the short-term rental definition in 17.18.010.

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

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