West Hollywood Multifamily Broker: Apartment Building Sales
West Hollywood is its own city, with its own rent control law and no Measure ULA transfer tax, which makes it one of the most distinctive apartment markets in Los Angeles County. Older rent-controlled buildings in the Norma Triangle, West Hollywood West, and the Eastside near Fairfax trade at some of the highest prices per unit in the region. Highlight sold 925 N San Vicente Blvd, a 9-unit rent-controlled building facing a mandatory seismic retrofit, and had it under contract in less than a week.
Get a Free Broker Opinion of Value in West HollywoodTransit Access
- Metro bus lines along Santa Monica Blvd, Sunset Blvd, Fairfax Ave, and La Cienega Blvd
- The city-run Cityline shuttle
- Short drive to the Metro D Line (Purple) on Wilshire Blvd
Local Retail
- The Sunset Strip
- Santa Monica Blvd and Melrose Ave corridors
- The West Hollywood Design District and Robertson Blvd
Major Employers
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (next door)
- Pacific Design Center and the Design District
- Sunset Strip hospitality, music, and entertainment employers
West Hollywood Multifamily Sales So Far This Year
Buildings first occupied before July 1, 1979 fall under West Hollywood's own rent control law and trade differently than newer buildings, so we break them out separately. Confirmed West Hollywood sales through September 2026. Figures are shown only when there are enough sales to be meaningful.
Built Before 1979 (WeHo Rent Control)
- Median Price Per Unit
- $279,500
- 13 West Hollywood sales
- Median Price Per SF
- $298
- 13 West Hollywood sales
- Typical Cap Rate
- 4.98% – 5.85%
- 10 West Hollywood sales
Built 1979 or Later
- Median Price Per Unit
- $489,759
- 3 West Hollywood sales
- Median Price Per SF
- $391
- 3 West Hollywood sales
- Typical Cap Rate
- Not enough data
- Fewer than 5 West Hollywood sales reporting a cap rate
Curious what your own West Hollywood property could be worth? Try our free value calculator →
Selling an Apartment Building in West Hollywood vs. the City of Los Angeles
West Hollywood looks like part of LA, but it has been its own city since 1984. That matters when you sell. The rent control law, the yearly rent increase, the transfer taxes, and the earthquake retrofit rules are all West Hollywood’s own. A building on the West Hollywood side of Fairfax Ave or La Cienega Blvd can face very different costs than the same building a block away in the City of LA.
West Hollywood Rent Control, in Plain English
West Hollywood’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance is separate from LA’s. Its cutoff date is later, its yearly increase is lower, and its tenant protections reach further. Here is how to tell where your building stands.
- Rent can rise once a year, by the city’s set percentage (2.75% from Sept 1, 2026)
- Tenants can only be evicted for reasons the ordinance allows
- No-fault move-outs require relocation payments
- The building must be registered with the city every year
- West Hollywood’s eviction rules still apply
- Once a building is more than 15 years old, the statewide AB 1482 cap may apply
- Confirm the status of your units with the city or an attorney
How much can rent go up each year?
Each September, rent-controlled rents in West Hollywood can rise by the Annual General Adjustment. The formula is 75% of the past year’s inflation in the LA area, rounded to the nearest quarter point, and the City Council made 3% a permanent ceiling in 2022. That is far tighter than the statewide AB 1482 cap (5% plus inflation, up to 10%), which is why West Hollywood buyers pay close attention to how far below market the current rents are.
Each figure applies from September 1 through the following August 31. Source: City of West Hollywood Rent Stabilization Division.
Four rent control rules every West Hollywood seller should know
- Market rent comes back only when a tenant leaves on their own. Under the state’s Costa-Hawkins law, you can set a new rent when a tenant moves out voluntarily. After a no-fault eviction, the city does not reset the rent.
- Relocation payments are large and rise every July. The city’s 2024 schedule set a one-bedroom at $12,833, with higher amounts for tenants who are 62 or older, disabled, terminally ill, moderate-income, or living with a minor child.
- You can only raise rent if your registration is current. West Hollywood charges a yearly per-unit registration fee. Owners who are behind cannot take the yearly increase, and buyers check this.
- Newer buildings are not exempt from everything. Buildings first occupied on or after July 1, 1979 have no city rent cap, but West Hollywood’s eviction protections still apply.
West Hollywood Is Not Subject to Measure ULA
Measure ULA, often called the “mansion tax,” applies only to property in the City of Los Angeles. West Hollywood is a separate city, so ULA does not apply to West Hollywood apartment buildings at any price. West Hollywood also has no city transfer tax of its own. A seller there pays only LA County’s documentary transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000. Here is what that means on a $6,000,000 sale.
- Measure ULA (4%): $240,000
- LA city transfer tax: $27,000
- LA County transfer tax: $6,600
Difference: $267,000 more in your pocket on the West Hollywood side.
Illustration only, before commissions and other closing costs. Rates from the LA County Registrar-Recorder and the City of Los Angeles Office of Finance (ULA thresholds for closings after June 30, 2026). Talk to your tax advisor about your own sale.
This cuts both ways in a good way for West Hollywood owners. You keep more of your price, and buyers know they can sell later without ULA too. That cheaper exit is part of why buyers accept lower cap rates here. It also means you do not have to price around the $5.4M line the way City of LA sellers do. A West Hollywood building should be priced at what it is worth, full stop.
Three Moves to Make Before You List a West Hollywood Building
Take this year’s rent increase first
Buyers pay for the rent roll they see, not the one you could have had. If you have skipped the 2.75% increase, serve the 30-day notices before you list (one increase per 12 months, and only with current registration).
Put your soft-story file in one folder
West Hollywood requires wood-frame buildings with weak or open ground floors (think tuck-under parking) permitted before 1978 to be screened and retrofitted. Buyers will ask where you are. Gather the screening report, engineer’s plans, permits, and final sign-off. A missing document becomes a price cut in escrow. A complete one keeps your price intact.
Our sale of 925 N San Vicente Blvd had a mandatory retrofit outstanding and still went under contract in less than a week.
Know your “rent gap”
In West Hollywood, much of a building’s value is the gap between current rents and market rents. Make a simple list of each unit’s rent, move-in year, and what a vacant unit would rent for today. Buyers will build this list anyway. Having yours ready shows the upside and keeps the price conversation on your terms.
What West Hollywood Apartment Buildings Sell For
West Hollywood’s older, rent-controlled buildings sold for a median of$279,500 per unit in January-September 2026, across 13 sales, with cap rates typically between 4.98% and 5.85%. Here is how that compares with the other neighborhoods we cover.
Source: Highlight Multifamily Group analysis of CoStar sold multifamily comps. Neighborhoods with fewer than 3 sales are left out.
Where West Hollywood’s apartment buildings are
Most of the city’s older apartment buildings sit on the flat streets between Sunset Blvd and Melrose Ave. The Norma Triangle and West Hollywood West (around San Vicente, Larrabee, Palm, and Hilldale) draw buyers who pay up for walkability to the Sunset Strip and Santa Monica Blvd. The Eastside (Fairfax, Ogden, Genesee, Sierra Bonita, Poinsettia) has more of the city’s 10 to 30 unit buildings and tends to trade at lower prices per unit. Hillside streets north of Sunset are mostly smaller buildings with view premiums.
What to Gather Before Selling a West Hollywood Apartment Building
- Current rent roll with each tenant’s move-in date and current rent
- Proof the building’s city rent registration is paid and current
- Copies of the last rent increase notices served
- Soft-story screening report, retrofit plans, permits, and sign-off (if your building is on the city’s list)
- Your SB 721 balcony and stair inspection report, if the building has elevated wood balconies, decks, or stairs (see our SB 721 guide)
- Two years of operating expenses and utility bills
- Any buyout agreements, relocation payments, or pending tenant matters
- Leases, including any pet, parking, or storage agreements
Not sure where to start? We will walk you through it as part of a free Broker Opinion of Value. Request yours here.
Thinking of Selling an Apartment Building in West Hollywood?
West Hollywood Multifamily FAQs
What is the price per unit for an apartment building in West Hollywood?
Among buildings built before 1978 sold in West Hollywood so far in 2026, the median price per unit was $279,500 across 13 sales, and the median price per square foot was $298. Figures are through September 2026 and move with the market.
What cap rate do West Hollywood apartment buildings sell for?
Buildings built before 1978 sold in West Hollywood in 2026 had a typical cap rate range of 4.98% – 5.85%, based on 10 sales that reported one (the middle half of those sales). Cap rates vary with building age, condition, and rent levels, so your building can sit above or below the range.
Does rent control apply to apartment buildings in West Hollywood?
Yes, under West Hollywood’s own Rent Stabilization Ordinance, not the City of Los Angeles rules. Buildings with a certificate of occupancy issued before July 1, 1979 are generally rent-controlled: rent can rise once a year by the city’s Annual General Adjustment, and tenants can only be evicted for reasons the ordinance allows. Newer buildings have no city rent cap but are still covered by West Hollywood’s eviction protections. Confirm your building’s status with the city or an attorney before you price or sell.
How much can landlords raise rent in West Hollywood in 2026?
For rent-controlled units, the Annual General Adjustment is 2.75% from September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027. It is set each year at 75% of the change in LA-area inflation and can never exceed 3%. Rent can go up once every 12 months, with a 30-day notice, and only if the building’s city registration is current.
Does Measure ULA apply to West Hollywood apartment buildings?
No. Measure ULA applies only to property in the City of Los Angeles, and West Hollywood is a separate city. West Hollywood also has no city transfer tax of its own, so a seller pays only LA County’s documentary transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000. On a $6 million sale, that is $6,600, compared with $273,600 in combined transfer taxes for the same price in the City of LA.
Can I raise the rent to market when a West Hollywood tenant moves out?
Usually, yes, if the tenant leaves voluntarily. State law (Costa-Hawkins) lets you set a new rent for the next tenant. After a no-fault eviction, West Hollywood does not reset the rent, and a no-fault move-out also requires a relocation payment, which the city adjusts every July.
Do West Hollywood apartment buildings need a soft-story retrofit?
Many do. West Hollywood’s Ordinance 17-1004 requires wood-frame buildings with soft, weak, or open-front ground floors, such as tuck-under parking, permitted before 1978 to be screened and retrofitted on a city schedule. Buyers will ask for your screening report, plans, permits, and sign-off, so gather them before you list.
What apartment buildings has Highlight sold in West Hollywood?
Highlight has closed a sale in West Hollywood: 925 N San Vicente Blvd (9 units, $4.20M). Every closed sale is listed with its details on our closed sales page.
Why do investors buy apartment buildings in West Hollywood?
West Hollywood is in Westside LA, with a Walk Score of 91 (Walker's Paradise; city-wide average) and a Transit Score of 61. Transit includes Metro bus lines along Santa Monica Blvd, Sunset Blvd, Fairfax Ave, and La Cienega Blvd. Nearby employers and anchors include Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (next door), Pacific Design Center and the Design District, and Sunset Strip hospitality, music, and entertainment employers. Walkable, transit-connected neighborhoods with local jobs tend to keep renter demand steady.
Are there apartment buildings for sale in West Hollywood right now?
We do not have an active West Hollywood listing at the moment. Contact us and we will tell you about upcoming and off-market opportunities as they arise.
What is my West Hollywood apartment building worth?
Start with our free property value calculator, which prices your building using West Hollywood's own 2026 sales. Then request a free Broker Opinion of Value for a number based on your actual rent roll, expenses, and condition.
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