Apartment buildings in Lancaster
By Shaya Lowenstein, Senior Associate at Lyon Stahl Investment Real Estate, CA DRE #01942326. From the 2025 LA County assessor roll, transfers through January 17, 2025.
Lancaster has 1,044 parcels with two or more units, 11,172 units in all, on the 2025 Los Angeles County assessor roll. Half of them were built in 1956 or earlier, and 736, or 70%, in 1978 or earlier. 142 parcels, 14%, have not been reassessed on a sale since 1995 or earlier, and 77 last changed hands in 2024.
- Parcels with 2 or more units
- 1,044
- Units in those parcels
- 11,172
- Median year built
- 1956
- Built in 1978 or earlier
- 736
- Median Prop 13 base year
- 2014
- Base year 1995 or earlier
- 142
- Last transfer in 2024
- 77
What the buildings in Lancaster look like.
Most of the apartment stock in Lancaster is small. 859 of the 1,044 parcels hold two to four units, the duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes that are often bought by owner users and first-time investors.
The average parcel here holds 10.7 units. 61 parcels hold 50 units or more. The largest ones are listed further down this page, each with its own public record.
| Size | Parcels | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Two to four units | 859 | 82% |
| Five to nine units | 77 | 7% |
| 10 to 19 units | 21 | 2% |
| 20 to 49 units | 26 | 2% |
| 50 units or more | 61 | 6% |
How old they are.
Half the apartment parcels in Lancaster were built in 1956 or earlier. 736 of 1,044, about 70%, went up in 1978 or before.
Across the 255 ZIP codes on this site that share is 89%, so Lancaster has a smaller share of older buildings than the average. Older buildings tend to carry the questions a buyer will ask about, like plumbing, electrical, the roof and whether the building needs a seismic retrofit.
Rent control in Lancaster.
The City of Los Angeles rent ordinance does not cover Lancaster. 736 of the parcels here were built in 1978 or earlier, and age is usually the first thing a local rent rule looks at.
Where a city has no rent rule of its own, the state cap in AB 1482 covers most buildings more than 15 years old. Check with Lancaster before you underwrite a rent roll, because local rules change.
How long owners hold.
The median Prop 13 base year for apartment parcels in Lancaster is 2014. A base year resets when a building sells, so an old one usually means the same owner or the same family has held it a long time.
142 parcels, 14%, still carry a base year of 1995 or earlier. The figure for all 255 ZIP codes here is 28%, so owners in Lancaster have held for less time than the average.
Long-held buildings often pay property tax on a value set decades ago. When they sell, the new owner is taxed on the price, which is part of why rents and expenses on these buildings need a close look before anyone sets a price.
How often buildings sell.
By last recorded transfer, 70 apartment parcels in Lancaster changed hands in 2022, 80 in 2023 and 77 in 2024.
That is 7.4% of the parcels here, against 7.3% across all 255 ZIP codes, so buildings here turned over at about the same rate as the average.
A building that sold twice in those years shows up once, in its later year, and a transfer is not always a sale at market. A move into a trust or between family members is recorded too.
| Year | Parcels |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 70 |
| 2023 | 80 |
| 2024 | 77 |
The largest apartment buildings in Lancaster.
- 1800 W Avenue J12, Lancaster 93534272 units, built 1987
- 43331 16th St W, Lancaster 93534264 units, built 1986
- 1608 W Avenue K-8, Lancaster 93534232 units, built 1985
- 43300 Gadsden Ave, Lancaster 93534216 units, built 1985
- 43339 Gadsden Ave, Lancaster 93534216 units, built 1987
- 44236 20th St E, Lancaster 93535212 units, built 1986
- 2006 Westwood Ct, Lancaster 93536209 units, built 1988
- 43200 16th St W, Lancaster 93534204 units, built 1988
- 44045 15th St W, Lancaster 93534200 units, built 1973
- 1530 W Avenue K8, Lancaster 93534194 units, built 2002
- 835 W Avenue L, Lancaster 93534192 units, built 1986
- 43032 30th St W, Lancaster 93536188 units, built 1986
See every apartment building in Lancaster with units, square footage, year built and assessed value for each one.
Questions owners ask about Lancaster.
How many apartment buildings are in Lancaster?
The 2025 Los Angeles County assessor roll lists 1,044 parcels with two or more units in Lancaster, with 11,172 units between them. 859 hold two to four units and 185 hold five or more.
How old are the apartment buildings in Lancaster?
The median build year is 1956. 736 of the 1,044 parcels, about 70%, were built in 1978 or earlier.
Are apartments in Lancaster under rent control?
The City of Los Angeles rent ordinance does not cover Lancaster. 736 of the parcels here were built in 1978 or earlier, and age is usually the first thing a local rent rule looks at. Where a city has no rent rule of its own, the state cap in AB 1482 covers most buildings more than 15 years old. Check with Lancaster before you underwrite a rent roll, because local rules change.
How often do apartment buildings sell in Lancaster?
70 parcels show a last recorded transfer in 2022, 80 in 2023 and 77 in 2024. A building that sold twice counts once, in its later year.
How long do owners hold apartment buildings in Lancaster?
The median Prop 13 base year is 2014, and 142 parcels, 14%, have a base year of 1995 or earlier. That usually means the same owner or family for 30 years or more.
What is my apartment building in Lancaster worth?
It depends on the rents, the expenses, the condition and which rent rules apply, so a number from a website is a guess. Send me the address and I will give you a value based on recent sales nearby and what your building actually earns. There is no charge.
Type your address. You get the county record for it right here, and I will send you a value based on recent sales nearby if you want one.
Thinking about selling? Read how I sell apartment buildings in Los Angeles or ask for a free valuation.
/// ZIP CODES IN LANCASTER
Where these numbers come from.
- Every count is from the 2025 Los Angeles County assessor roll and counts parcels the assessor lists with two or more units. A parcel can hold more than one building.
- The sale years are the most recent recorded transfer on each parcel, through January 17, 2025. A transfer into a trust or between family members is recorded the same way as a sale.
- The base year is the year Prop 13 last set the parcel's land value, which happens when it changes hands. Values set before 1975 show as 1975.
- Rent control and soft-story figures cover the City of Los Angeles only and come from the city's zoning map and permit data. Rent control is worked out from the build year, not taken from the Housing Department's list.
- The numbers were taken from the roll on October 27, 2026. Download every area as a CSV file.
/// HOW TO CITE THIS
Shaya Lowenstein, "Apartment buildings in Lancaster," Shaya Lowenstein, October 27, 2026, https://www.shayarealestate.com/apartment-buildings/lancaster. Figures from the 2025 Los Angeles County assessor roll.
Shaya Lowenstein, CA DRE #01942326, Lyon Stahl Investment Real Estate. Public record figures, offered as research and not as an appraisal of any one building.