South Gate, CA Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)

South Gate does not have a separate local tiny-home ordinance. Tiny homes are regulated through two state pathways depending on construction and placement. (1) Permanent-foundation tiny homes are treated as ADUs under Cal. Gov. Code §65852.2 and SGMC Ch. 11.43 (amended by Ord. 2025-01-CC). The city must ministerially approve a detached ADU up to 850 sq ft (one-bedroom or studio) or 1,000 sq ft (two or more bedrooms), with 4-ft side/rear setbacks and a 16-ft height minimum cities must allow (up to 18-25 ft near transit/multifamily lots per state law). They must comply with the California Building Code (Title 24 CCR) for site-built dwellings adopted via SGMC Ch. 9.02. (2) Movable Tiny Houses (MTH) on a chassis are regulated by HCD under Cal. Health & Safety Code §18007 and HCD's Movable Tiny House guidelines — they must be HCD-certified and meet ANSI standards. South Gate treats movable tiny houses similarly to RVs or manufactured homes under the Zoning Code (SGMC Title 11), which restricts long-term occupancy of RVs on residential lots outside of approved mobilehome parks. Park-model RVs (<=400 sq ft) follow ANSI A119.5 and cannot be used as permanent dwellings on residential lots. Because South Gate's residential lots are typically small (~5,000 sq ft) and lot coverage is constrained, an ADU tiny home is generally the only legal pathway for living year-round in a tiny structure on a single-family lot.