Apartment buildings in Santa Monica
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.
Santa Monica has 4,005 parcels with two or more units, 33,134 units in all, on the 2025 Los Angeles County assessor roll. Half of them were built in 1950 or earlier, and 3,672, or 92%, in 1978 or earlier. 1,451 parcels, 36%, have not been reassessed on a sale since 1995 or earlier, and 300 last changed hands in 2024.
- Parcels with 2 or more units
- 4,005
- Units in those parcels
- 33,134
- Median year built
- 1950
- Built in 1978 or earlier
- 3,672
- Median Prop 13 base year
- 2002
- Base year 1995 or earlier
- 1,451
- Last transfer in 2024
- 300
What the buildings in Santa Monica look like.
Santa Monica leans toward larger buildings. 2,355 of the 4,005 parcels hold five units or more, which puts them in commercial lending and commercial pricing rather than the residential market.
The average parcel here holds 8.3 units. 38 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 | 1,650 | 41% |
| Five to nine units | 1,432 | 36% |
| 10 to 19 units | 659 | 16% |
| 20 to 49 units | 226 | 6% |
| 50 units or more | 38 | 1% |
How old they are.
Half the apartment parcels in Santa Monica were built in 1950 or earlier. 3,672 of 4,005, about 92%, went up in 1978 or before.
Across the 255 ZIP codes on this site that share is 89%, so Santa Monica 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 Santa Monica.
The City of Los Angeles rent ordinance does not cover Santa Monica. 3,672 of the parcels here were built in 1978 or earlier, and age is usually the first thing a local rent rule looks at.
Santa Monica has its own rent stabilization ordinance, so the city's rules decide how much rent can go up and when a tenant can be asked to leave. Read those before you price a building here.
How long owners hold.
The median Prop 13 base year for apartment parcels in Santa Monica is 2002. 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.
1,451 parcels, 36%, still carry a base year of 1995 or earlier. The figure for all 255 ZIP codes here is 28%, so owners in Santa Monica have held longer 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, 239 apartment parcels in Santa Monica changed hands in 2022, 221 in 2023 and 300 in 2024.
That is 7.5% 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 | 239 |
| 2023 | 221 |
| 2024 | 300 |
The largest apartment buildings in Santa Monica.
- 2700 Neilson Way, Santa Monica 90405532 units, built 1965
- 1431 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica 90401485 units, built 1963
- 2930 Colorado Ave, Santa Monica 90404356 units, built 2020
- 2200 Colorado Ave, Santa Monica 90404350 units, built 2001
- 1112 7th St, Santa Monica 90403285 units, built 1969
- 1725 Ocean Front Walk, Santa Monica 90401178 units, built 2001
- 1725 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica 90401160 units, built 2013
- 1233 6th St, Santa Monica 90401150 units, built 1964
- 1111 2nd St, Santa Monica 90403138 units, built 1965
- 1528 5th St, Santa Monica 90401126 units, built 1984
- 1221 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica 90401119 units, built 1971
- 2501 Pico Blvd, Front, Santa Monica 90405111 units, built 1960
See every apartment building in Santa Monica with units, square footage, year built and assessed value for each one.
Questions owners ask about Santa Monica.
How many apartment buildings are in Santa Monica?
The 2025 Los Angeles County assessor roll lists 4,005 parcels with two or more units in Santa Monica, with 33,134 units between them. 1,650 hold two to four units and 2,355 hold five or more.
How old are the apartment buildings in Santa Monica?
The median build year is 1950. 3,672 of the 4,005 parcels, about 92%, were built in 1978 or earlier.
Are apartments in Santa Monica under rent control?
The City of Los Angeles rent ordinance does not cover Santa Monica. 3,672 of the parcels here were built in 1978 or earlier, and age is usually the first thing a local rent rule looks at. Santa Monica has its own rent stabilization ordinance, so the city's rules decide how much rent can go up and when a tenant can be asked to leave. Read those before you price a building here.
How often do apartment buildings sell in Santa Monica?
239 parcels show a last recorded transfer in 2022, 221 in 2023 and 300 in 2024. A building that sold twice counts once, in its later year.
How long do owners hold apartment buildings in Santa Monica?
The median Prop 13 base year is 2002, and 1,451 parcels, 36%, 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 Santa Monica 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 SANTA MONICA
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 Santa Monica," Shaya Lowenstein, October 27, 2026, https://www.shayarealestate.com/apartment-buildings/santa-monica. 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.