San Leandro, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- RS/RD front yard
- 20 feet
- RS/RD side yard
- 5 feet
- RS/RD corner side yard
- 10 feet
- RS/RD rear yard
- 15 feet
- RS-40 front yard
- 40 feet
- Adjustment section
- SLMC § 2.04.340
- Misdemeanor fine cap
- $1,000 / 1 year jail
Summary
San Leandro's Zoning Code sets a fixed yard table by district under Section 2.04.316. In the RS and RD single-family districts you need a 20-foot front yard, 5-foot side yards, a 10-foot corner side yard, and a 15-foot rear yard; the RS-40 district doubles the front yard to 40 feet.
§ 2.04.316. Minimum Yards.
A. Minimum Building Setback. The minimum yard setback for building placement is as prescribed below. Additional building setback requirements may also apply as specified in Subsections B and C.
Zoning District Front (feet) Side (feet) Corner Side (feet) Rear (feet) RD 20 5 10 15 RS 20 5 10 15 RS-40 40 5 10 15
B. Minimum required yard setbacks shall be subject to the regulations of Section 2.04.340 R Districts—Adjustments to Minimum Yard Requirements; and in the RO District, the regulations of Section 2.04.376 RO District—Additional Setback and Lot Coverage Requirements.
C. Determination of Front and Corner Side Yards. For corner lots, the owner may select either street frontage line as the front lot line, subject to approval of the Zoning Enforcement Official.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4967405; v8 updated 2026-07-06).
Full Breakdown
316's table runs across every residential district: RM-3000 through RM-1800 use a minimum 6-foot side yard with a 10-foot average, RO drops the side minimum toward 6-12 feet, and RS-VP keeps the 20-foot front/5-foot side/10-foot corner/15-foot rear pattern used in RS. 376 (Additional Setback and Lot Coverage Requirements). Subsection C lets a corner-lot owner pick which street frontage counts as the front lot line, but that choice needs the Zoning Enforcement Official's approval before it locks in the rest of the yard geometry. 376 adjustment layers before a determination issues.
Violations & Fines
Building without meeting the applicable yard table, or without first securing a 2.04.340/2.04.376 adjustment, is a Zoning Code violation under Section 5.24.112: a land-use violation is charged as a misdemeanor (up to $1,000 and up to one year in County Jail) unless the Zoning Enforcement Official reduces it to an infraction, and each day the encroachment stands is a separate violation. Section 5.24.116 lets the City issue a written Notice to Abate giving the owner at least seven days to correct an encroachment before an administrative hearing and possible abatement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far back must a house sit from the front property line in San Leandro's RS district?
Can I pick which side of my corner lot counts as the front yard?
What is the side yard setback in San Leandro's RM-2000 multi-family district?
What happens if I build closer to the property line than the code allows?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Leandro
California rules heatmap·Compare San Leandro to another location·View the California building setbacks & zoning overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Setback Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle setback rules.