Legalizing a non-conforming unit in Manhattan Beach

The coastal question

Manhattan Beach has had a certified Local Coastal Program since 1994, so the city issues the coastal development permit itself and processes it alongside the building permit. One local requirement applies: in the coastal zone, existing on-site parking for the primary dwelling must be maintained — an exception to the general rule that no parking can be required for an accessory dwelling unit.

Rent control

Manhattan Beach has no local rent stabilization ordinance. Rent increases are governed by the statewide Tenant Protection Act: five percent plus regional CPI to a maximum of ten percent, with units exempt for fifteen years from the date their certificate of occupancy is issued.

What the city can and cannot do

Manhattan Beach cannot deny a permit for a pre-2020 unit because it violates building standards or the local ADU ordinance. It can deny only if it finds that correcting the violation is necessary to meet the substandard-building threshold in Health & Safety Code § 17920.3.

That is a far narrower test than full compliance with current code. A unit can fall short of today's standards in a dozen ways and still be permitted, so long as none of them makes the building substandard.