In Oakland, as in many cities, one can renovate or convert an existing building and create what are called "Joint Living and Work Quarters" (JLWQ), commonly referred to as live/work spaces.

Joint Living and Work Quarters are the result of a relaxation in the code which allows people to live and work in existing commercial and industrial buildings. Joint Living and Work Quarters must have kitchens and bathrooms which comply with the residential building code, and ample working space which is regularly used by at least one resident.

The Oakland Building Code divides Joint Living and Work Quarters into two distinct types: live/work and work/live. Live/work is Residentially-Oriented Live/Work Space, and work/live is Commercially-Oriented Live/Work Space.

"7020 JOINT LIVING AND WORK QUARTERS
(b) Definition. Joint living and work quarters means residential occupancy by not more than four persons, maintaining a common household of one or more rooms or floors in a building originally designed for industrial or commercial occupancy which includes:

(1) Cooking space and sanitary facilities which satisfy the provisions of other applicable codes, and

(2) Adequate working space reserved for, and regularly used by, one or more persons residing therein."--Oakland Zoning Regulations