Updated August 17, 2026
SB 79 is California's transit-oriented development law, effective July 1, 2026, setting state minimum height and density standards near qualifying transit stops and overriding local zoning within a half mile.
Tiers run by transit quality and distance — up to roughly nine stories at a heavy-rail stop, eight at light rail or dedicated-lane BRT, stepping down by distance. Only counties with qualifying transit are affected, and Los Angeles County is one of them.
The carve-out decides it for most LA owners: SB 79 cannot be used where a project would demolish more than two rent- or price-controlled units occupied by tenants in the previous seven years. That excludes most occupied pre-1978 RSO stock. Los Angeles has separately moved to defer application citywide under the law's temporary exclusion provisions.
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