Los Angeles County · Land use · Rooming or boarding house
Where is a rooming or boarding house allowed in Los Angeles County?
In Los Angeles County, a rooming or boarding house is needs a permit in 11 (R-3, R-4, R-5, C-H, C-1 and 6 more) and not allowed in 8 (Los Angeles County use tables, read October 2026).
Key points
- Needs a permit: R-3, R-4, R-5, C-H, C-1, C-2, C-3, C-M and 3 more
- Not allowed: R-A, R-1, R-2, C-R, M-1, M-1.5, M-2 and M-2.5
Find your lot's zone on the city zoning map, then read its row. Every status below was read from the Los Angeles County Municipal Code use tables (read October 2026). Base zones only. General information, not legal advice — check with the city before you apply.
Zones where a rooming or boarding house can go
Los Angeles County's code calls this use “Rooming and boarding houses”. Each row links to the use table it comes from. A zone marked “see note” has a condition in the code, for example upper floors only or a larger lot.
| Zone | Status | Code |
|---|---|---|
| R-3 | Needs a conditional use permit | § 22.18.030 |
| R-4 | Needs a ministerial site plan review | § 22.18.030 |
| R-5 | Needs a ministerial site plan review | § 22.18.030 |
| C-H | Needs a conditional use permit | § 22.20.030 |
| C-1 | Needs a conditional use permit | § 22.20.030 |
| C-2 | Needs a conditional use permit | § 22.20.030 |
| C-3 | Needs a conditional use permit | § 22.20.030 |
| C-M | Needs a conditional use permit | § 22.20.030 |
| C-MJ | Needs a conditional use permit | § 22.20.030 |
| C-RU | Needs a conditional use permit | § 22.24.030 |
| MXD-RU | Needs a conditional use permit | § 22.24.030 |
Zones where it is not allowed
What else applies
- No SRO row. Accessory 'Room rentals' (4 or fewer residents in a single-family home) is a different, accessory use.
- Not covered here: M-3: S5 says premises 'may be used for any use' except the listed exceptions, so no per-use row exists; not comparable, no cells given; B-1 and B-2: S6 is a short list of allowed items (parking, landscaping, grading etc.) with none of the 16 uses; no cells given; Zone W has no cell for several uses because the row is '-' (given as no); Zones O-S/R-R/W belong to the Resort/Open space group in S1; Overlay and special districts in S8 to S70 (Santa Monica Mountains LIP, Coastal specific plans, Billboard, Parking, Equestrian, Green Zone, TOD specific plan) are not base zones and were not used. Overlay zones and specific plans can also change the answer.
Other uses in Los Angeles County
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
Can I have a rooming or boarding house in the R-3 zone in Los Angeles County?
Only with a conditional use permit. Los Angeles County's use table lists it that way in R-3 (§ 22.18.030).
Can I have a rooming or boarding house in the R-A zone in Los Angeles County?
No. Los Angeles County's use table does not allow it in R-A (§ 22.18.030).
General information, not legal advice.
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