ADUs for Beverly Hills Duplexes and Apartments

Where Multifamily ADUs Make Sense in Beverly Hills

Most of Beverly Hills is zoned for single-family homes, but not all of it. Southwest Beverly Hills has a larger share of apartment buildings than most of the city, on rectangular lots that often back onto parking areas or carports. The southeast side, near La Cienega Park, also has some duplexes and small complexes among its houses. Many of these buildings date from the postwar decades and still have tuck-under parking, garage rows or storage rooms that are barely used.

Those spaces are where multifamily ADUs come from. State law allows two kinds of additions on a lot with an existing multifamily building: conversions of non-livable space inside the structure, and new detached ADUs elsewhere on the lot. Each has its own count limit. Both can be used on the same lot.

SB 1211 Unit Counts for Apartment and Duplex Lots

SB 1211 took effect in 2025 and expanded what the state allows. On a lot that already has a multifamily building, an owner can add up to eight detached ADUs, as long as the number of new detached units does not exceed the number of existing units. A duplex can therefore add two detached ADUs. A sixplex can add six. A building with ten or more units reaches the cap of eight.

Separately, the owner can convert non-livable space such as storage rooms, boiler rooms, attics or garages into ADUs. The state requires at least one such conversion to be allowed and up to 25% of the existing unit count. A twelve-unit building could convert space into three ADUs on top of its detached units. If the multifamily building is still in the proposal stage, the lot can include up to two detached ADUs with it.

• Existing duplex: up to 2 detached ADUs plus at least 1 conversion
• Existing fourplex: up to 4 detached ADUs plus at least 1 conversion
• Existing 12-unit building: up to 8 detached ADUs plus up to 3 conversions
• Proposed multifamily project: up to 2 detached ADUs

Converting Garages and Storage in Older Beverly Hills Apartments

The most common multifamily ADU we see is a conversion of a garage row or a storage room. These spaces already have a roof and walls, often sit along the alley or rear property line, and can be turned into studios or one-bedroom units without new footprint. Parking removed in the process does not have to be replaced under state law.

Conversions in occupied buildings take planning. Existing tenants use the laundry, the trash enclosure and the driveway, and those need to keep working during construction. We map tenant paths before demolition, keep utility shutdowns short and scheduled, and coordinate with the building manager on notices. Tenants get written notice before any work affects their unit.

Utilities and Fire Separation on Multifamily ADU Projects

Adding units to an apartment lot loads the building's existing utilities. Water service from the City of Beverly Hills and sewer capacity both need checking. The electrical service, supplied by Southern California Edison, often needs an upgrade or a separate service for the new units, and that involves SCE's own engineering review.

Fire and life safety rules are stricter on multifamily lots. New detached ADUs need proper spacing or rated walls from the existing building. Converted spaces inside the building need fire separation from the units around them. Sprinkler requirements depend on the building's existing systems and the scope of work, and we confirm them during plan check.

Renting and Owning Multifamily ADUs in Beverly Hills

Beverly Hills does not allow ADUs to be sold separately from the main property, and short-term rentals of 30 days or fewer are prohibited. New multifamily ADUs are long-term rental units by design. Under state law, condo-style sale of ADUs is only possible where a city has adopted an ordinance allowing it.

The city also has rent stabilization rules for many existing apartments. How those rules apply to a new ADU on the same lot is a question for the city's rent program and your own advisors, and we encourage owners to ask it before design is final. Rent rules can affect the project's numbers as much as construction cost.