Apartment buildings in Malibu

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.

THE SHORT VERSION

Malibu has 185 parcels with two or more units, 709 units in all, on the 2025 Los Angeles County assessor roll. Half of them were built in 1956 or earlier, and 170, or 92%, in 1978 or earlier. 54 parcels, 29%, have not been reassessed on a sale since 1995 or earlier, and 17 last changed hands in 2024.

Parcels with 2 or more units
185
Units in those parcels
709
Median year built
1956
Built in 1978 or earlier
170
Median Prop 13 base year
2005
Base year 1995 or earlier
54
Last transfer in 2024
17

What the buildings in Malibu look like.

Most of the apartment stock in Malibu is small. 152 of the 185 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 3.8 units. None hold 50 units or more. The largest ones are listed further down this page, each with its own public record.

APARTMENT PARCELS BY SIZE
SizeParcelsShare
Two to four units15282%
Five to nine units2212%
10 to 19 units95%
20 to 49 units21%
50 units or more00%

How old they are.

Half the apartment parcels in Malibu were built in 1956 or earlier. 170 of 185, about 92%, went up in 1978 or before.

Across the 255 ZIP codes on this site that share is 89%, so Malibu has a larger 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 Malibu.

The City of Los Angeles rent ordinance does not cover Malibu. 170 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 Malibu before you underwrite a rent roll, because local rules change.

How long owners hold.

The median Prop 13 base year for apartment parcels in Malibu is 2005. 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.

54 parcels, 29%, still carry a base year of 1995 or earlier. The figure for all 255 ZIP codes here is 28%, so owners in Malibu have held about as long as 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, 15 apartment parcels in Malibu changed hands in 2022, 14 in 2023 and 17 in 2024.

That is 9.2% of the parcels here, against 7.3% across all 255 ZIP codes, so buildings here turned over more often than 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.

PARCELS BY YEAR OF LAST RECORDED TRANSFER
YearParcels
202215
202314
202417

The largest apartment buildings in Malibu.

  1. 3918 Las Flores Canyon Rd, Malibu 9026522 units, built 1964
  2. 18000 Coastline Dr, Malibu 9026520 units, built 1971
  3. 22660 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu 9026515 units, built 1964
  4. 20747 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu 9026512 units, built 1963
  5. 22860 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu 9026512 units, built 1955
  6. 29229 Heathercliff Rd, Malibu 9026512 units, built 1970
  7. 6453 Sycamore Meadows Dr, Malibu 9026512 units, built 1957
  8. 20656 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu 9026510 units, built 1959
  9. 20710 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu 9026510 units, built 1962
  10. 22125 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu 9026510 units, built 1960
  11. 22648 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu 9026510 units, built 1950
  12. 18065 Coastline Dr, Malibu 902658 units, built 1969

See every apartment building in Malibu with units, square footage, year built and assessed value for each one.

Questions owners ask about Malibu.

How many apartment buildings are in Malibu?

The 2025 Los Angeles County assessor roll lists 185 parcels with two or more units in Malibu, with 709 units between them. 152 hold two to four units and 33 hold five or more.

How old are the apartment buildings in Malibu?

The median build year is 1956. 170 of the 185 parcels, about 92%, were built in 1978 or earlier.

Are apartments in Malibu under rent control?

The City of Los Angeles rent ordinance does not cover Malibu. 170 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 Malibu before you underwrite a rent roll, because local rules change.

How often do apartment buildings sell in Malibu?

15 parcels show a last recorded transfer in 2022, 14 in 2023 and 17 in 2024. A building that sold twice counts once, in its later year.

How long do owners hold apartment buildings in Malibu?

The median Prop 13 base year is 2005, and 54 parcels, 29%, 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 Malibu 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.

/// OWN A BUILDING IN MALIBU?

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 MALIBU

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 Malibu," Shaya Lowenstein, October 27, 2026, https://www.shayarealestate.com/apartment-buildings/malibu. 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.