Insights

How to Spot an SB 684 Lot: A Checklist for Agents and Owners

Oliver Thornton · October 24, 2026

General information only. This article is educational and is not legal, tax, financial, lending or investment advice. Do your own due diligence and confirm everything with your own qualified professionals before relying on it. Read the full disclaimer.

Most SB 684 sites don’t look like development sites. They look like an older house on a slightly larger-than-average lot on a multifamily-zoned block. If you know what to check, you can screen a listing in a few minutes. This checklist is for listing agents, buyer’s agents, wholesalers and owners.

The Five-Minute Screen

Check	What you want to see	Where to look
Zoning	Multifamily zoning (or a vacant single-family lot)	ZIMAS (City of LA) or the city’s zoning map
Lot size	5,000 sq ft or more; 6,000+ is better	ZIMAS, county assessor, MLS
Fire zone	Not in a high or very high fire hazard severity zone	ZIMAS hazards tab or the state fire hazard map
Location	In the flats, with urban uses on most sides	Any map
Occupancy	Owner-occupied or no tenants in the last five years	The owner; city rent and Ellis records
Prior splits	Not already split under SB 9 or SB 684	Recorded maps; the city

Using ZIMAS (City of Los Angeles)

For addresses inside the City of Los Angeles, ZIMAS is the fastest first check. Search the address, then look at the zoning designation, the lot area, and the hazards information, including whether the parcel sits in a very high fire hazard severity zone. Remember that many addresses with a “Los Angeles” mailing address are actually in Culver City, Santa Monica or unincorporated county, which have their own maps and rules.

Signals That a Listing Is Worth a Closer Look

An older single-family home on a lot zoned for two or more units
A wide lot, a corner lot, or a lot that runs street to alley
A long-time owner-occupant, an estate or a trust sale
A flat lot in a neighborhood where new townhomes already sell well
Days on market piling up because buyers are valuing only the house

Red Flags

Current tenants, or a recent Ellis Act withdrawal (see tenant history rules)
A hillside or fire-zone location
Historic overlays, coastal-zone permits or a lot already split
A lot too small or too narrow for six homes with parking

Found One?

If a property clears most of this list, it is worth sending over. We reply within two business days with a yes, a no, or our questions, and we honor agent commissions. Submit a property, or read what owners should know before selling.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ZIMAS?
ZIMAS is the City of Los Angeles' free online zoning and parcel map. It shows a parcel's zoning, lot size and many overlays, including fire hazard severity zones, for properties inside the City of Los Angeles.

What zoning should I look for?
Multifamily zoning is the clearest SB 684 path. In the City of Los Angeles that includes zones such as RD, R2 and R3; other cities use their own zone names, so check the local zoning map.

Is a single-family lot ever an SB 684 site?
A vacant single-family-zoned lot can qualify under SB 1123. A single-family lot with an occupied house on it generally does not.

Can I check tenant history online?
Partly. Cities with rent registries or Ellis Act records may show some history, but the owner is usually the best source. A developer confirms it in due diligence.

Important Disclaimer

This article is published by Assemble Capital for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not legal, tax, accounting, lending, appraisal, real estate brokerage or investment advice, and it is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Laws, regulations, government programs, lending practices, market conditions and local procedures change often and vary by jurisdiction and by property. The information here may be incomplete, out of date or not applicable to your situation, and we have no obligation to update it.

No one, including investors, lenders, property owners, buyers, sellers, agents, brokers, wholesalers or developers, should rely on this article in making any decision. Before acting on any topic discussed here, independently verify the information and conduct your own due diligence with qualified legal, tax, financial, lending, appraisal and real estate professionals and the applicable government agencies.

References to projects, timelines, approvals, appraisals, financing, prices or market conditions are illustrative, may change, and are not predictions, promises or guarantees of any result. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Reading this article or contacting us does not create an attorney-client, advisory, fiduciary, agency, brokerage or other relationship with Assemble Capital, its affiliates or its principals. Assemble Capital makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of this content and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, disclaims all liability for any loss or damage arising from any reliance on it. Use of this site is subject to our Terms of Service and Risks & Disclosures.