Article 8. Local Regulation of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 2. >> Chapter 3.2. >> Article 8.

The Legislature hereby declares that it is the policy of this state that each county and city shall permit and encourage the development of sufficient numbers of residential care facilities for the elderly as are commensurate with local need. This article shall apply equally to any chartered city, general law city, county, city and county, district, and any other local public entity. For the purposes of this article, "six or fewer persons" does not include the licensee or members of the licensee's family or persons employed as facility staff.

Any person licensed under this chapter who operates, or proposes to operate a residential care facility for the elderly, the department or other public agency authorized to license the facility, or any public or private agency which uses or may use the services of the facility to place its clients, may invoke this article. This section shall not be construed to prohibit any interested party from bringing suit to invoke this article.

A residential care facility for the elderly, which serves six or fewer persons shall not be subject to any business taxes, local registration fees, use permit fees, or other fees to which other family dwellings of the same type in the same zone are not likewise subject. Nothing in this section shall be construed to forbid the imposition of local property taxes, fees for water service and garbage collection, fees for inspections not prohibited by Section 1569.85, local bond assessments, and other fees, charges, and assessments to which other family dwellings of the same type in the same zone are likewise subject. Neither the State Fire Marshal nor any local public entity shall charge any fee for enforcing fire inspection regulations pursuant to state law or regulation or local ordinance, with respect to residential care facilities for the elderly which service six or fewer persons. For the purposes of this section, "family dwelling," includes, but is not limited to, single-family dwellings, units in multifamily dwellings, including units in duplexes and units in apartment dwellings, mobilehomes, including mobilehomes located in mobilehome parks, units in cooperatives, units in condominiums, units in townhouses, and units in planned unit developments.

(a) Whether or not unrelated persons are living together, a residential care facility for the elderly that serves six or fewer persons shall be considered a residential use of property for the purposes of this article. In addition, the residents and operators of the facility shall be considered a family for the purposes of any law or zoning ordinance that relates to the residential use of property pursuant to this article.
  (b) For the purpose of all local ordinances, a residential care facility for the elderly that serves six or fewer persons shall not be included within the definition of a boarding house, rooming house, institution or home for the care of the aged, guest home, rest home, community residence, or other similar term that implies that the residential care facility for the elderly is a business run for profit or differs in any other way from a family dwelling.
  (c) This section shall not be construed to forbid a city, county, or other local public entity from placing restrictions on building heights, setback, lot dimensions, or placement of signs of a residential care facility for the elderly that serves six or fewer persons as long as the restrictions are identical to those applied to other family dwellings of the same type in the same zone.
  (d) This section shall not be construed to forbid the application to a residential care facility for the elderly of any local ordinance that deals with health and safety, building standards, environmental impact standards, or any other matter within the jurisdiction of a local public entity if the ordinance does not distinguish residential care facilities for the elderly that serve six or fewer persons from other family dwellings of the same type in the same zone and if the ordinance does not distinguish residents of the residential care facilities for the elderly from persons who reside in other family dwellings of the same type in the same zone.
  (e) No conditional use permit, zoning variance, or other zoning clearance shall be required of a residential care facility for the elderly that serves six or fewer persons that is not required of a family dwelling of the same type in the same zone.
  (f) Use of a family dwelling for purposes of a residential care facility for the elderly serving six or fewer persons shall not constitute a change of occupancy for purposes of Part 1.5 (commencing with Section 17910) of Division 13 or local building codes. However, nothing in this section is intended to supersede Section 13143 or 13143.6, to the extent these sections are applicable to residential care facilities for the elderly providing care for six or fewer residents.
  (g) For the purposes of this section, "family dwelling," includes, but is not limited to, single-family dwellings, units in multifamily dwellings, including units in duplexes and units in apartment dwellings, mobilehomes, including mobilehomes located in mobilehome parks, units in cooperatives, units in condominiums, units in townhouses, and units in planned unit developments.

No fire inspection clearance or other permit, license, clearance, or similar authorization shall be denied to a residential care facility for the elderly because of a failure to comply with local ordinances from which the facilities are exempt under Section 1569.85, provided that the applicant otherwise qualifies for the fire clearance, license, permit, or similar authorization.

For the purposes of any contract, deed, or covenant for the transfer of real property executed on or after January 1, 1979, a residential facility for the elderly which serves six or fewer persons shall be considered a residential use of property and a use of property by a single family, notwithstanding any disclaimers to the contrary.