Los Angeles is getting close to a vote on the biggest rewrite of its small-scale housing rules in years. The Missing Middle LA package, a set of ordinances covering ADUs, SB 9 lot splits, starter homes and small lot subdivisions, has finished its staff-level public hearing and is headed to the City Planning Commission, then the City Council (via Los Angeles City Planning).
City Planning held the hearing on Oct. 1 and took written comments through Oct. 16. The package runs under case numbers CPC-2025-4430-CA, CPC-2025-4421-CA and CPC-2026-4383-CA. The department says it will now write a recommendation report for the commission, which will be posted with the commission's agenda. The commission's next regular meeting is Thursday, Nov. 12 at City Hall, but the city's own pages hadn't confirmed as of Nov. 9 whether Missing Middle LA is on that agenda.
Mayor Karen Bass rolled out the first drafts in June, and a second draft followed in September. Here's what's in it for people who build one to ten homes at a time.
ADUs. The ADU ordinance brings the city's 2019 rules in line with current state law. It would let owners sell ADUs separately as condominiums under AB 1033 through a simpler process than a traditional subdivision map. A new local ADU bonus program would allow some ADU and SB 9 combinations that add up to four units, an extra "Opportunity ADU" on qualifying large lots in higher-opportunity areas, and a bonus for deed-restricted affordable ADUs near transit. The second draft drops limits on combining city and state ADUs, following guidance from the state housing department. The city has permitted more than 45,000 ADUs since 2017, about 7,400 of them in 2025.
SB 9. The HOME Act ordinance writes SB 9 two-unit projects and urban lot splits into the zoning code, replacing the interim guidance the city has used since the state law took effect. It adds flexibility on access, parking and lot layout, and gives height relief to projects that keep existing homes or significant trees. The second draft lets builders pull building permits on an SB 9 lot split before the final map records and allows a shared sewer line, subject to Bureau of Engineering approval.
Starter homes. The Starter Home Ordinance puts the state's Starter Home Revitalization Act (SB 684 and SB 1123) into local code. That law gives qualifying for-sale projects of up to 10 homes a ministerial path, with no discretionary hearing and no CEQA review. The state law doesn't apply in very high fire hazard severity zones. On top of that, an optional Starter Home Bonus for fee-simple small lot projects that meet the city's objective design standards would allow up to 20% more units, cut minimum lot size by 25% (to 450 square feet in multifamily zones or 900 in single-family zones), add 5 feet of height, cut required parking in half and allow an ADU or JADU on each lot. Those bonus numbers come from a city fact sheet still marked as a draft.
Small lots and open space. The Small Lot Subdivision ordinance gets targeted updates to match the starter home standards and adds tenant notice and relocation help when existing units are subdivided. A citywide amendment would require projects under six units to set aside at least 15% of lot area as outdoor space, and porches, patios and balconies could be left out of floor area and height calculations.
Why it matters for Contractors
Most of Missing Middle LA is aimed at exactly the jobs small builders do: ADUs, lot splits and 2- to 10-home infill. The biggest change is that more of that work would go through a ministerial, by-right process, with no hearing and no appeals, which takes much of the schedule risk out of small projects.
It's still a draft, and the numbers could shift at the commission or the council. For now, read the September drafts on City Planning's Missing Middle LA page, watch the commission agenda for the recommendation report, and look at lots you already control with the new starter home and ADU bonus math in mind. If you build ADUs, the condo-sale option could open a new kind of client: owners who want to sell the unit rather than rent it.