(Ramos D) Tiny homes: fire sprinkler requirements.

Current Text: Amended: 4/13/2023 

Status: 10/10/2023-Approved by the Governor. Chaptered by Secretary of State – Chapter 725, Statutes of 2023
4/17/2023-Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.

Summary: The Planning and Zoning Law, among other things, provides for the creation of accessory dwelling units by local ordinance, or, if a local agency has not adopted an ordinance, by ministerial approval, in accordance with specified standards and conditions. Existing law prohibits a local agency from requiring an accessory dwelling unit to provide fire sprinklers, if they are not required for the primary residence.

This bill would prohibit a local agency from imposing or enforcing any requirement to provide fire sprinklers for a temporary sleeping cabin with a total floor area of less than 250 square feet. The bill would define “temporary sleeping cabin” to mean a nonpermanent fixture that is intended to provide temporary housing to people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, has a total floor area of less than 250 feet, and does not include plumbing. The bill would require a temporary sleeping cabin with a total floor area of less than 250 square feet that does not include fire sprinklers to comply with alternative fire life and safety standards that include providing, among other things, a smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm in the unit, a fire extinguisher in the unit, and ingress and egress that facilitates rapid exit of the temporary sleeping cabin. By requiring local agencies to impose alternative fire life and safety standards for these units, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.