In 2017, Los Angeles revised its zoning ordinance and FAR calculations to combat the rise of McMansions.[1] The 2017 ordinance changed the way that the FAR is calculated in residential zones. Any portion of a building with a ceiling height of fourteen feet or higher counts as twice the square footage of that area in the FAR calculation.[2] This has the effect of encouraging owners to build houses with more usable space, or in the alternative, sacrifice overall size in favor of high ceilings. The City also now regulates the size of new residential buildings based on the character of existing houses in residential zones. For example, one residential zone allows for a larger building mass only at the front of the lot, while another allows for larger mass only at the rear of the lot.[3] These ordinances insure that an owner will not buy an older, smaller house on a less expensive lot with the goal of demolishing that house and building a McMansion that occupies nearly the whole lot. Combined, these ordinances help limit the availability of McMansions and their impact on neighborhoods and the environment.

To view the provisions, see Los Angeles, CA, Municipal Code § 12.08 (C) (5) (2017).

To view the brief, see Establish Maximum Size of Single-Family Residences.

[1] Elijah Chiland, LA Takes New Steps to Fight McMansions, Curbed Los Angeles (Mar. 1, 2017, 4:28pm PST), https://la.curbed.com/2017/3/1/14783162/los-angeles-mansionization-rules-mcmansions [https://perma.cc/9V9V-U3PF].

[2] Los Angeles, CA, Municipal Code §12.03 (2017) (defining “Floor Area, Residential”).

[3] Id. at §§ 12.08.5.c, 12.08.5.d.