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© 2026 SHAYA LOWENSTEIN · LYON STAHL INVESTMENT REAL ESTATE830 S PACIFIC COAST HWY, SUITE D-200, EL SEGUNDO, CA 90245SHAYA@LYONSTAHL.COM · DRE #01942326
BUILDINGS/538 W 1ST ST
/// BUILDING FILE · ROLL 2025

538 W 1ST ST.

Los Angeles, CA 90731 · APN 7451-007-013

/// WHERE DO WE REACH YOU?

ONE EMAIL, USED TO KEEP THIS LIST AND TO TELL YOU IF A WATCHED BUILDING LISTS OR SELLS. UNSUBSCRIBE ANY TIME.

UNITS

2

BUILDING SF

1,812

SF / UNIT

906

YEAR BUILT

1906

BEDROOMS

6

BATHROOMS

2

USE · CODE 0200

DUPLEX

/// ASSESSED VALUE
LAND$254,664
IMPROVEMENTS$172,992
TOTAL$427,656
LAND BASE YEAR2021
OWNERSHIP TENUREAPPROX. 5 YEARS

PROP 13 ASSESSED VALUES — USUALLY WELL BELOW MARKET ON LONG-HELD BUILDINGS.

/// LAST TRANSFER
RECORDEDMAR 24, 2022
EST. PRICE (2022)$395,088
EST. $/UNIT$197,544

PRICE ESTIMATED FROM ASSESSOR REASSESSMENT AT SALE — NOT A VERIFIED CLOSING PRICE.

/// RENT CONTROL

LIKELY COVERED BY LA RSO

Built 1906 in the City of Los Angeles with 2 units — pre-October 1978 multifamily inside city limits is generally under the Rent Stabilization Ordinance, capping annual increases and restricting evictions.

HOW LA RSO WORKS →INFERRED FROM PUBLIC RECORDS — VERIFY WITH LAHD / ZIMAS BEFORE RELYING ON IT.
/// ZIP 90731

Recent sales nearby.

ADDRESSSOLDEST. PRICEEST. $/UNITUNITS
1224 S MESA ST→DEC 2024EST.$895,000$179,000UNITS5103 W 14TH ST→DEC 2024EST.$970,000$242,500UNITS41079 W 25TH ST→DEC 2024EST.$1,250,000$312,500UNITS4848 W SEPULVEDA ST→DEC 2024EST.$1,100,000$275,000UNITS4776 W 1ST ST→DEC 2024EST.$715,000$357,500UNITS2843 W OLIVER ST→DEC 2024EST.$962,000$320,667UNITS33015 S CAROLINA ST→DEC 2024EST.$880,000$440,000UNITS21153 W 2ND ST→DEC 2024EST.$785,000$261,667UNITS3

PRICES ESTIMATED FROM ASSESSOR REASSESSMENT AT SALE (ASSESSED VALUE DEFLATED 2%/YR) — NOT VERIFIED CLOSING PRICES.

/// COMPARE

Buildings like this one.

ON W 1ST ST · ZIP 90731

1019 W 1ST ST→2 UNITS · BUILT 1923 · DUPLEX1024 W 1ST ST→12 UNITS · BUILT 1922 · 5+ UNITS1029 W 1ST ST→2 UNITS · BUILT 1920 · DUPLEX1033 W 1ST ST→3 UNITS · BUILT 2006 · TRIPLEX1041 W 1ST ST→2 UNITS · BUILT 1920 · DUPLEX336 W 1ST ST→22 UNITS · BUILT 1986 · 5+ UNITS

SIMILAR SIZE AND ERA IN 90731

1018 S GRAND AVE→2 UNITS · BUILT 1916 · 1,964 SF1020 W 6TH ST→2 UNITS · BUILT 1914 · 1,568 SF1027 S CENTRE ST→2 UNITS · BUILT 1905 · 1,964 SF1032 W 2ND ST→2 UNITS · BUILT 1915 · 1,911 SF1034 W 21ST ST→2 UNITS · BUILT 1914 · 1,698 SF1034 W 7TH ST→2 UNITS · BUILT 1908 · 2,200 SF
EVERY BUILDING IN 90731 →RSO, 5–12 UNITS →BUILT BEFORE 1930 →
/// COMMON QUESTIONS · 538 W 1ST ST

The short answers.

Is 538 W 1st St rent controlled?

Built 1906 in the City of Los Angeles with 2 units — pre-October 1978 multifamily inside city limits is generally under the Rent Stabilization Ordinance, capping annual increases and restricting evictions. This is an inference from public assessor records, not a determination — confirm the certificate of occupancy date with the LA Housing Department or ZIMAS before you rely on it for pricing or notices.

How many units does 538 W 1st St have?

County records list 2 units at 538 W 1st St, classified as duplex across 1,812 square feet of building area, averaging about 906 square feet per unit. Unit counts on the roll can lag permitted conversions and unpermitted additions in both directions.

When was 538 W 1st St built?

The assessor roll gives a build year of 1906, which puts it in the pre-1979 stock that the LA Rent Stabilization Ordinance generally covers inside city limits. Age drives more than character here: it sets rent-cap exposure, seismic retrofit obligations, and what a lender will underwrite.

When did 538 W 1st St last sell, and for how much?

The last recorded transfer was March 2022, at an estimated $395,088 — about $197,544 per unit. That price is estimated from the Proposition 13 reassessment recorded at sale, not a verified closing price, so treat it as a close approximation rather than a confirmed figure.

What is 538 W 1st St assessed at, and is that what it is worth?

The current assessed value is $427,656 ($254,664 land, $172,992 improvements). Assessed value is not market value. Under Proposition 13 it resets only on a change of ownership and then climbs about 2% a year, so a long-held building is often assessed far below what it would trade for.

How do I find out what 538 W 1st St would sell for today?

Public records give you the frame — units, size, age, assessed value, when it last traded — but pricing needs in-place rents, expenses, and the condition of the units, none of which appear in county data. A broker valuation puts closed comps and a rent survey against the actual rent roll. Shaya Lowenstein does that free for LA multifamily owners, typically within 48 hours, with no obligation to list.

/// OWNER READING
WHAT IS MY BUILDING WORTH? →SELLING WITH TENANTS IN PLACE →HOW LA RSO WORKS →

Own this building?

FREE, CONFIDENTIAL VALUATION FROM CLOSED COMPS — 48H TURNAROUND.

WHAT'S IT WORTH_TALK TO SHAYA →

NOT SELLING? GET DEALS LIKE THIS FIRST →