Newport Beach · Land use · Apartment building
Where is an apartment building (multifamily housing) allowed in Newport Beach?
In Newport Beach, an apartment building (multifamily housing) is allowed in 5 base zones (RM, RMD, MU-MM, MU-DW and MU-CV/15th St., 3 with a condition) and not allowed in 4 (Newport Beach use tables, read October 2026).
Key points
- Allowed: RM, RMD, MU-MM, MU-DW and MU-CV/15th St.
- Not allowed: R-A, R-1, R-BI and R-2
Find your lot's zone on the city zoning map, then read its row. Every status below was read from the Newport Beach Municipal Code use tables (read October 2026). Base zones only. General information, not legal advice — check with the city before you apply.
Zones where an apartment building (multifamily housing) can go
Newport Beach's code calls this use “Multi-Unit Dwellings”. 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 | Allowed | § 20.18.020 |
| RMD | Allowed | § 20.18.020 |
| MU-MM | Allowed — see note Note 1: Allowed only as part of a mixed-use development. Refer to Section § 20.48.130 (Mixed-Use Projects) for additional development standards. Note 2: Not allowed to front onto coast highway. Coast highway frontage shall be limited to nonresidential uses. See Table 2-10 (Development Standards for Vertical and Horizontal Mixed-Use Zoning Districts). Note 6 (zone heading): Properties fronting on coast highway shall be developed with nonresidential uses as allowed in Table 2-9. Properties to the rear of the commercial frontage may be developed for freestanding nonresidential uses, multi-unit residential dwelling units, or mixed-use structures that integrate multi-unit residential above the ground floor with nonresidential uses on the ground floor. See Table 2-10 (Development Standards for Vertical and Horizontal Mixed-Use Zoning Districts). | § 20.22.020 |
| MU-DW | Allowed — see note Note 1: Allowed only as part of a mixed-use development. Refer to Section § 20.48.130 (Mixed-Use Projects) for additional development standards. | § 20.22.020 |
| MU-CV/15th St. | Allowed — see note Note 3: Not allowed on lots at street intersections unless part of a mixed-use or live-work structure. Note 7 (zone heading): Mixed-use or commercial structures are required on lots at street intersections and are allowed, but not required, on other lots. | § 20.22.020 |
Zones where it is not allowed
What else applies
- Mixed-use Table 2-8: MU-V and MU-W1/MU-W2 allow multi-unit only above the 1st floor (left out). MU-MM P(1)(2), MU-DW P(1), MU-CV P(3) on both floors. Residential zones other than RM and RMD do not allow it. Coastal parcels: Title 21 Table 21.22-1 repeats the mixed-use districts with 'A'.
- State law: State laws such as AB 2011, SB 6 and the density bonus law can allow homes on some commercial sites, or more units than this table shows.
- Not covered here: PC (Planned Community) districts: S9 sends every use to each PC development plan, so no use table; Santa Ana Heights Specific Plan SP-7 districts (REQ, RK, RSF, RMF, HN, GC, BP, PA, PACC, OS/R): S10 lists the districts only; the use table is not in the packet; Title 21 coastal residential, commercial, industrial and special-purpose tables (only mixed-use Table 21.22-1/21.22-2 is in the packet); Specific Use Regulations sections (20.48.xxx) are not in the packet. Overlay zones and specific plans can also change the answer.
Other uses in Newport Beach
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
Can I have an apartment building (multifamily housing) in the R-A zone in Newport Beach?
No. Newport Beach's use table does not allow it in R-A (§ 20.18.020).
Can I have an apartment building (multifamily housing) in the RM zone in Newport Beach?
Yes. Newport Beach's use table lists it as allowed in RM (§ 20.18.020).
General information, not legal advice.
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