Zoning & entitlements
Open space requirement
Per-unit minimums of usable common or private open space — courtyards, decks, balconies — required by multifamily development standards.
Definition
Multifamily codes require a minimum area of usable open space per unit, usually split between common space (courtyards, roof decks) and private space (balconies, patios), each with its own dimensional minimums, in the district standards of the zoning ordinance. Typical ordinances run in the low hundreds of square feet per unit, and some let private balconies substitute for part of the common requirement.
For bonus projects the ratio is a favorite concession target, and it is waivable outright where it physically precludes the awarded density under § 65915.
Why it matters in an underwrite
Open space competes one-for-one with buildable area, and on tight urban lots it — not FAR — is often the binding constraint. Balconies are the cheap lever where the code credits them toward the total; where it does not, a concession trimming the common-space ratio can restore a lost unit. Reduced open space is a textbook cost-reducing concession, so refusals are hard for cities to sustain.
Sources & related guides
See also
See the term in the law itself
Read the controlling text in the Code Library, or ask the AI how it applies to your project.
Last reviewed 2026-07-29. General information, not legal advice.