San Clemente · Land use · Rooming or boarding house
Where is a rooming or boarding house allowed in San Clemente?
In San Clemente, a rooming or boarding house is needs a conditional use permit in 3 (RM, RH and MU 5, all with a condition) and not allowed in 9 (San Clemente use tables, read October 2026).
Key points
- Needs a permit: RM, RH and MU 5
- Not allowed: RVL, RL, RML, MU 1, MU 2, MU 3.0, MU 3.1, MU 3.2 and 1 more
Find your lot's zone on the city zoning map, then read its row. Every status below was read from the San Clemente 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
San Clemente's code calls this use “Boardinghouse”. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| RM | Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 18: A boardinghouse may not be located within 300 feet of any other boardinghouse measured by following a straight line without regard to intervening buildings from the nearest point of the parcel on which the proposed boardinghouse is to be located to the nearest point of the parcel that contains the existing boardinghouse. No more than one boardinghouse is allowed on a legal parcel. Note 22: But if the boardinghouse is a Residential Care Facility (as defined by Section 17.88.030), allowed administratively under Chapter 5.38 (Residential Care Facility Boardinghouse—Streamlined Administrative Approval). | § 17.32.030 |
| RH | Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 18: A boardinghouse may not be located within 300 feet of any other boardinghouse measured by following a straight line without regard to intervening buildings from the nearest point of the parcel on which the proposed boardinghouse is to be located to the nearest point of the parcel that contains the existing boardinghouse. No more than one boardinghouse is allowed on a legal parcel. Note 22: But if the boardinghouse is a Residential Care Facility (as defined by Section 17.88.030), allowed administratively under Chapter 5.38 (Residential Care Facility Boardinghouse—Streamlined Administrative Approval). | § 17.32.030 |
| MU 5 | Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 29: A boardinghouse may not be located within 300 feet of any other boardinghouse measured by following a straight line without regard to intervening buildings from the nearest point of the parcel on which the proposed boardinghouse is to be located to the nearest point of the parcel that contains the existing boardinghouse. No more than one boardinghouse is allowed on a legal parcel. Note 31: But if the boardinghouse is a Residential Care Facility (as defined by Section 17.88.030), allowed administratively under Chapter 5.38 (Residential Care Facility Boardinghouse—Streamlined Administrative Approval). | § 17.40.030 |
Zones where it is not allowed
What else applies
- Not covered here: INST (institutional zones; see Marblehead Inland Master Plan); industrial and any other zones whose use tables are not in the text; Housing Overlay and Emergency Shelter Overlay (17.56.090, 17.56.100). Overlay zones and specific plans can also change the answer.
Other uses in San Clemente
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
Can I have a rooming or boarding house in the RM zone in San Clemente?
Only with a conditional use permit. San Clemente's use table lists it that way in RM (§ 17.32.030). The code adds a condition: “A boardinghouse may not be located within 300 feet of any other boardinghouse measured by following a straight line without regard to intervening buildings from the nearest point of the parcel on which the proposed…”
Can I have a rooming or boarding house in the RVL zone in San Clemente?
No. San Clemente's use table does not allow it in RVL (§ 17.32.030).
General information, not legal advice.
Ask about a rooming or boarding house at an address in San Clemente
Ask GoCodebook what the zoning at a specific address allows and get an answer that cites the section.
Ask your question