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Title 19

Chapter 19.68 — MOBILE, ACCESSORY, AND SINGLE ROOM OCCUPANCY LIVING UNITS

Sunnyvale Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · updated 2026-07-07 · Sunnyvale

§ 19.68.010. Purpose.

This chapter establishes the requirements and standards for alternative housing types. (Ord. 2623-99 § 1; Ord. 2976-12 § 13)

§ 19.68.020. Mobile living units.

The use, occupancy or placement of mobile living units, portable office structures, guard shacks, cargo containers or other portable storage units are permitted only as follows:

  • (a) Mobile or motor home in any nonresidential zoning district for demonstrated security purposes;

  • (b) Mobile or motor home in any zoning district when in conjunction with a church for demonstrated security purposes;

  • (c) A mobile living unit or portable office may be used as a construction or sales office in any zoning district in connection with a construction project provided the unit shall be removed not later than ninety days from issuance of the certificate of occupancy or completion for the project, whichever occurs first;

  • (d) Guard buildings or kiosks may be used for a demonstrated security purpose within industrial or office zoning districts, and within residential zoning districts in connection with secured communities;

  • (e) Portable offices may be used for nonresidential purposes in industrial and office zoning districts for one-year time increments;

  • (f) Portable storage units including cargo containers and sheds, not governed by Section 19.22.060 (Hazardous materials storage facilities) and Chapter 19.40 (Accessory Structures), in any nonresidential zoning district.

(Prior zoning code §§ 19.51.035(a)(1), (4), (5); Ord. 2623-99 § 1; Ord. 2907-09 § 12)

§ 19.68.030. Mobile homes.

The use, occupancy or placement of a mobile home is permitted only as follows:

  • (a) In a lawfully operated mobile home park.

  • (b) Mobile homes that have been certified under the National Mobile Home Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. Section 5401, et seq.), as amended, erected on a foundational system pursuant to Section 18551 of the California Health and Safety Code for use as a single-family detached dwelling in a zoning district designated R-0, R-1, R-2, or R-3 provided:

    • (1) No more than one such mobile home shall be erected on a single lot in such zoning districts;

(2) A mobile home shall not be permitted as an addition to a single-family dwelling. (Prior zoning code §§ 19.51.035(b)(1)—(2); Ord. 2623-99 § 1)

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City of Sunnyvale, CA § 19.68.050

ZONING

§ 19.68.060

§ 19.68.050. Single room occupancy (SRO) living unit facility.

  • (a) A conditional use permit may be issued for an SRO living unit facility only if the following criteria are met:

    • (1) Excluding the closet and the bathroom area, an SRO living unit must be a minimum of one hundred fifty square feet in floor area. The average unit size in a living unit facility shall be no greater than two hundred seventy-five square feet and no individual living unit may exceed four hundred square feet;

    • (2) Each SRO living unit shall be designed to accommodate a maximum of two persons;

    • (3) An SRO living unit may contain partial kitchen facilities;

    • (4) Individual SRO living units may not have separate external entryways;

    • (5) The SRO living unit facility must have a management plan approved by the director of community development. The management plan shall contain management policies, operations, rental procedures, maintenance plans, staffing needs and security procedures. An on-site, twenty-four-hour manager is required in every living unit project. The rental procedures must allow for both weekly and monthly tenancies and specify deposit requirements for each type of tenancy. A manager's unit shall be a complete dwelling unit and so designated on all plans;

    • (6) Laundry facilities must be provided in a separate room in compliance with Chapter 16.16, at the ratio of one washer and one dryer for every twenty units or fractional number thereof. The laundry facility must be located near the interior common space. Washers and dryers may be coin operated;

    • (7) A closet and separate storage space, as approved by the director of community development, is required in every SRO living unit facility;

    • (8) A cleaning supply storeroom and/or utility closet with at least one laundry tub with hot and cold running water must be provided on each floor of the living unit building;

    • (9) The SRO living unit facility shall provide interior common space at a minimum of four square feet per unit. An SRO living unit facility must provide at least two hundred square feet in area of interior common space, excluding janitorial storage, laundry facilities and common hallways.

  • (b) The planning commission or the city council shall deny the application for a use permit hereunder where the information submitted by the applicant and/or presented at the public hearing fails to substantiate that the project will comply with these criteria.

  • (Ord. 2976-12 § 13)

§ 19.68.060. Single room occupancy (SRO) residential hotel.

  • (a) A conditional use permit may be issued for an SRO residential hotel only if the following criteria are met:

    • (1) Excluding the closet and any bathroom space, an SRO residential hotel unit must be at least seventy square feet in floor area;

    • (2) An SRO residential hotel room designed to accommodate a maximum of one person

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City of Sunnyvale, CA § 19.68.060

SUNNYVALE CODE

§ 19.68.060

shall not exceed one hundred fifty square feet in floor area, and an SRO residential hotel room designed to accommodate a maximum of two persons shall be between one hundred twenty and two hundred nineteen square feet in floor area;

  • (3) An SRO residential hotel unit may contain partial kitchen and bath facilities. If individual bath and/or kitchen facilities are not provided, common bath facilities and/ or common laundry and kitchen facilities must be provided in accordance with Chapter 16.16;

  • (4) Individual SRO residential hotel units may not have separate external entryways;

  • (5) The SRO residential hotel must have a management plan approved by the director of community development The management plan shall contain management policies, operations, rental procedures, maintenance plans, staffing needs and security procedures. An on-site twenty-four hour manager is required in every SRO residential hotel. The rental procedures must allow for both weekly and monthly tenancies and specify deposit requirements for each type of tenancy. A manager's unit shall be a complete dwelling unit and so designated on all plans;

  • (6) Laundry facilities must be provided in a separate room, at the ratio of one washer and one dryer for every twenty units or fractional number thereof. The laundry facility must be located near the interior common space. Washers and dryers may be coin operated;

  • (7) A closet and separate storage space, as approved by the director of community development, is required in every SRO residential hotel room;

  • (8) A cleaning supply storeroom and/or utility closet with at least one laundry tub with hot and cold running water must be provided on each floor of the residential hotel building;

  • (9) The SRO residential hotel shall provide interior common space at a minimum of four square feet per unit. The SRO residential hotel shall provide a minimum of two hundred square feet of interior common area.

  • (b) The planning commission or the city council shall deny the application where the information submitted by the applicant and/or presented at the public hearing fails to satisfactorily substantiate that the project will comply with these criteria.

  • (Ord. 2976-12 § 13)

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City of Sunnyvale, CA

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Contents — Sunnyvale Zoning Code
Sunnyvale Zoning Code
  1. Title 19
    Overview
    1. Article 2 — DEFINITIONS
    2. Chapter 19.39 — GREEN BUILDING REGULATIONS
    3. Chapter 19.56 — ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SYSTEMS
    4. Chapter 19.58 — FAMILY DAYCARE HOMES
    5. Chapter 19.88 — USE PERMITS
    6. Chapter 19.02 — ADOPTION AND PURPOSE
    7. Chapter 19.04 — GENERAL PLAN
    8. Chapter 19.06 — OFFICIAL PLAN LINES
    9. Chapter 19.12 — DEFINITIONS
    10. Chapter 19.16
    11. Chapter 19.18 — RESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICTS
    12. Chapter 19.20 — COMMERCIAL ZONING DISTRICTS
    13. Chapter 19.22 — INDUSTRIAL ZONING DISTRICTS
    14. Chapter 19.24 — OFFICE AND PUBLIC FACILITIES ZONING DISTRICTS
    15. Chapter 19.26 — COMBINING DISTRICTS
    16. Chapter 19.27 — SITE AND PROJECT-BASED SPECIFIC PLAN DISTRICTS
    17. Chapter 19.28 — DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN DISTRICT
    18. Chapter 19.29 — MOFFETT PARK SPECIFIC PLAN DISTRICT
    19. Chapter 19.30 — LOT AREA AND LOT WIDTH
    20. Chapter 19.32 — BUILDING HEIGHTS, LOT COVERAGES AND FLOOR AREA…
    21. Chapter 19.34 — FRONT, SIDE AND REAR YARDS
    22. Chapter 19.35 — LAWRENCE STATION AREA PLAN DISTRICT
    23. Chapter 19.36 — EL CAMINO REAL SPECIFIC PLAN DISTRICT
    24. Chapter 19.37
    25. Chapter 19.38 — REQUIRED FACILITIES
    26. Chapter 19.39 — GREEN BUILDING REGULATIONS
    27. Chapter 19.40 — ACCESSORY STRUCTURES
    28. Chapter 19.42 — OPERATING STANDARDS
    29. Chapter 19.44 — SIGN CODE
    30. Chapter 19.45 — TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT
    31. Chapter 19.46 — PARKING
    32. Chapter 19.47 — OFF-SITE STADIUM EVENT PARKING
    33. Chapter 19.48 — FENCES, DISTANCES BETWEEN BUILDINGS AND EXTENS…
    34. Chapter 19.50 — NONCONFORMING BUILDINGS AND USES
    35. Chapter 19.52 — ART IN PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT
    36. Chapter 19.54 — WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATION FACILITIES
    37. Chapter 19.56 — ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SYSTEMS
    38. Chapter 19.58 — FAMILY DAYCARE HOMES
    39. Chapter 19.60 — ADULT BUSINESSES AND MASSAGE ESTABLISHMENTS
    40. Chapter 19.61 — TEMPORARY UNENCLOSED USES
    41. Chapter 19.64
    42. Chapter 19.65 — REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION PROCEDURES
    43. Chapter 19.66 — SAFE PARKING SITE
    44. Chapter 19.67 — INCLUSIONARY BELOW MARKET RATE OWNERSHIP HOUSI…
    45. Chapter 19.68 — MOBILE, ACCESSORY, AND SINGLE ROOM OCCUPANCY L…
    46. Chapter 19.69 — EXISTING BELOW MARKET RATE RENTAL HOUSING
    47. Chapter 19.70 — CONVERSION OF RENTAL HOUSING TO COMMUNITY HOUS…
    48. Chapter 19.71 — RESIDENTIAL TENANT PROTECTIONS PROGRAMS
    49. Chapter 19.72 — MOBILE HOME PARK CONVERSIONS
    50. Chapter 19.73 — BY-RIGHT APPROVAL
    51. Chapter 19.74 — PARK DEDICATION FEES FOR RENTAL HOUSING PROJECTS
    52. Chapter 19.75 — HOUSING IMPACT FEES
    53. Chapter 19.76 — SHORT-TERM RENTAL OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
    54. Chapter 19.77 — INCLUSIONARY BELOW MARKET RATE RENTAL HOUSING
    55. Chapter 19.78 — DUAL URBAN OPPORTUNITY HOUSING
    56. Chapter 19.79 — ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS
    57. Chapter 19.80 — DESIGN REVIEW
    58. Chapter 19.81 — STREAMSIDE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW
    59. Chapter 19.82 — MISCELLANEOUS PLAN PERMIT
    60. Chapter 19.84 — VARIANCES
    61. Chapter 19.88 — USE PERMITS
    62. Chapter 19.90 — SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT PERMITS
    63. Chapter 19.92 — GENERAL PLAN AND ZONING AMENDMENTS
    64. Chapter 19.94 — TREE PRESERVATION
    65. Chapter 19.96 — HERITAGE PRESERVATION
    66. Chapter 19.98 — GENERAL PROCEDURES

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