Journal ·
Can You Keep a Horse in Burbank? R-1-H Zoning in the Rancho, Explained
Short answer: yes, but only in the Rancho, and only under Burbank's R-1-H Single Family Residential Horsekeeping Zone. That zone caps non-commercial horsekeeping at one horse per 3,000 square feet of lot area, requires a shelter stable, and requires a permit from the Burbank Animal Shelter Superintendent. R-1-H exists nowhere else in the city. Every single-family residential parcel in the Rancho carries it.
Where is the Rancho neighborhood in Burbank?
The Rancho sits along the southern edge of Burbank and covers roughly 315 acres in two non-contiguous pieces. East Rancho is bounded generally by Alameda Avenue and Oak Street on the north, Victory Boulevard on the east, the Los Angeles River on the south, and Keystone Street on the west. West Rancho is smaller, bounded by Reval Court, Bob Hope Drive, the Los Angeles River, and California Street.
The name comes from two Spanish and Mexican land grants, San Rafael and Providencia, which Dr. David Burbank bought in 1867. Portions of those grants became the city. Boundaries and acreage come from the city's Rancho Neighborhood Specific Plan FAQ.
One thing matters more than the history for a buyer. The Rancho is inside the City of Burbank, so Burbank Water and Power and the Burbank Community Development Department run the utilities and the permit counter. Not LADWP, not LADBS.
What does R-1-H zoning actually allow?
R-1-H is written for single-family neighborhoods with incidental horse facilities, at very low density. Article 6 of Title 10 of the Burbank Municipal Code sets it apart from R-1 in several specific ways.
| Standard | R-1-H requirement | Code section |
|---|---|---|
| Horses, non-commercial stable | 1 per 3,000 sq ft of lot area | BMC 10-1-605(E)(3) |
| Horses, commercial stable | 1 per 500 sq ft of lot area | BMC 10-1-605(E)(4) |
| Non-commercial stable location | Within the rear 35 feet of the lot | BMC 10-1-605(C)(1) |
| Stable side and rear setback | 3 feet minimum | BMC 10-1-605(C)(2) |
| Stable and half-wall openings | 10 feet from side and rear lines | BMC 10-1-605(C)(2) |
| Non-commercial corral location | Within the rear 35 feet of the lot | BMC 10-1-605(D)(1) |
| Shelter | Every lot with a horse needs a stable | BMC 10-1-605(E)(2) |
The three-foot setback drops away where the property line abuts an alley, matching how accessory structures are treated under Section 10-1-603(F). On a 7,500 square foot lot the math allows two horses. On 5,900 square feet it allows one.
Horsekeeping rules live in three separate places in the Burbank Municipal Code, which is why owners get contradictory answers. Article 13 of Title 5 covers stables and corrals citywide. Section 10-1-605 covers R-1-H specifically and supersedes conflicting standards. Division 9 of Article 24 covers commercial stables.
Do you need a permit to keep a horse in Burbank?
Two separate approvals, and buyers routinely learn about the second one late. Keeping a horse in R-1-H without a permit from the Animal Shelter Superintendent is unlawful. The Superintendent cannot issue that permit until the Community Development Director finds the property conforms to Section 10-1-605. Separately, Article 5 of Title 5 requires every horse in the city to hold a valid registration with the Burbank Animal Shelter and pay a registration fee. Horses brought in temporarily for commercial purposes for under 30 days are exempt.
A number that surprises people. As of December 2024 the city had records for 30 active horse registrations, all at Rancho properties, and the city notes the real count may differ. As of July 2025, Los Angeles had records of about 90 equines stabled at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center belonging to roughly 50 Burbank residents. Many Rancho households keep the horse across the river.
Why does SB 9 not apply to Rancho lots?
This is the part with real money attached. SB 9, passed in 2021, normally forces cities to ministerially approve a second primary unit or a lot split in single-family zones. Burbank's code prohibits both in R-1-H, citing the same state section.
The carve-out sits in Government Code Section 66499.41(h)(2), and it has two conditions, not one. Sections 65852.21 and 66411.7 do not apply to a site inside a single-family residential horsekeeping zone designated in a master plan adopted before January 1, 1994, and where the local government has an adopted housing element that is compliant with applicable law.
Burbank's Rancho Master Plan Zones ordinance, Ordinance No. 3343, took effect June 26, 1993, clearing the statutory date by about six months. The second condition is the one to watch, because it ties the exemption to the city's housing element status rather than making it permanent. The current version of the section was amended by AB 130, Statutes of 2025, Chapter 22, effective June 30, 2025, so anything written about this before that date should be re-read against the code. That single ordinance date is why a Rancho parcel and an R-1 parcel eight blocks north have different development futures.
SB 423 works on a similar logic for streamlined multifamily. It exempts projects submitted between January 1, 2024 and July 1, 2025 from SB 35 streamlining when they sit in a general-plan or master-plan equestrian district.
What are Rancho home prices doing right now?
Redfin recorded a median sale price of $1.62 million in the Rancho District for the month ending in mid-August 2026, up 36.4 percent year over year, on five closed sales. Price per square foot ran $735, down 16.5 percent over the same period. Median days on market was 35.
Read those two arrows together. The median price jumped while the price per square foot fell, on a sample of five homes. That is a mix shift, not a market surge. Larger parcels closed this cycle, which pulls the headline median up and the per-foot number down.
For contrast, Redfin put Burbank citywide at $1,255,817 in June 2026, up 4.7 percent year over year, while Movoto listed a July 2026 median list price of $1.19 million citywide. Those measure different things, closed sales against active listings, which is the usual reason the two numbers separate. Citywide figures are broken out in the August 2026 Burbank market update.
What should a buyer check before writing an offer on a Rancho property?
- Confirm the parcel is zoned R-1-H and sits inside the Specific Plan boundary. The city publishes a boundary map through the plan website.
- Measure lot area and divide by 3,000. That is the horse ceiling, before any stable is built.
- Walk the rear 35 feet. Existing stables, corrals, and fences outside that band may be legal nonconforming under Article 18 of Title 10, which limits enlargement, alteration, replacement, and reconstruction.
- Ask the Planning Division in writing whether specific structures are conforming. The Community Development Department is at 150 N. Third Street and the Planning Division takes written inquiries at [email protected].
- Check whether the seller holds a current Animal Shelter registration. Registration follows the animal, not the parcel.
- Read the Rancho Neighborhood Specific Plan status. Adoption is scheduled for the Phase 4 window in winter 2026, and the plan is evaluating a potential historic district and an equestrian overlay.
What is the Mariposa Street Bridge and why do listings mention it?
The California Office of Historic Preservation describes it as a 1939 steel suspension bridge across the Los Angeles River, linking the Burbank and Glendale Ranchos to the Los Angeles Equestrian Center and Griffith Park equestrian trails, built so horses and riders could cross. The Griffith Park trail map shows where the dirt trails pick up on the far side.
The rules are stricter than most people assume, and they moved. They now sit in Section 6-1-2805 of the Burbank Municipal Code, formerly 6-1-2802. A rider must keep the horse at a walking gait on the bridge. No person shall ride, walk or carry a bicycle, electric bicycle, or electric mobility device on it, so wheeling a bike across on foot is not a workaround. Pedestrians are allowed. Amended by Ordinance No. 26-4,038 on 2/24/26.
Trail access across that bridge is a durable feature of Rancho value, and unlike a kitchen remodel it cannot be replicated on the other side of Victory Boulevard.
Q: Is the whole Rancho zoned for horses?
All single-family residential property in the Rancho is zoned R-1-H, and R-1-H exists only in the Rancho. The neighborhood also contains R-3, R-4, M-1, and the Rancho Master Plan commercial zones, so a Rancho address does not by itself mean a horsekeeping parcel.
Q: How many horses can I keep on a 10,000 square foot lot in Burbank?
Three, under the non-commercial standard of one horse per 3,000 square feet of lot area. Every horse needs stable shelter, and the stable has to sit within the rear 35 feet of the lot.
Q: Can I build an ADU on an R-1-H lot in the Rancho?
State ADU law and Burbank's ADU standards are separate from the SB 9 prohibition, so an ADU is a different question from a second primary dwelling or a lot split. Confirm current standards with the Burbank Planning Division before you rely on any of it, because ADU rules have changed repeatedly since 2020.
Q: Does a Rancho home cost more than the rest of Burbank?
On the most recent Redfin data the Rancho median sat well above the citywide median, $1.62 million against $1,255,817. The Rancho figure rests on five sales, so treat the gap as directional rather than precise.
Q: Who do I call about horse registration in Burbank?
The Burbank Animal Shelter handles registration and the application form is posted on the city's Animal Shelter Services page. The Planning Division at Community Development handles zoning conformance questions.
This article is general information about zoning and market data, not legal, tax, or engineering advice. Verify every code section and lot measurement for the specific parcel before you rely on it. Call Alla at (818) 699-5367 or use the enquiry form.
More on this part of the city in the Burbank area guide, more neighborhood history in Magnolia Park, and commentary from Alla is collected on the press page.