Is Burbank in Los Angeles?
Burbank is in Los Angeles County but is its own city, not part of the City of Los Angeles. North Hollywood, Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Valley Village, Van Nuys and most of Toluca Lake are neighborhoods of the City of Los Angeles. That line decides which transfer tax, which rent law and which seismic program apply to an apartment building (as of November 2026).
A building's mailing city is not proof of which side it is on; the parcel's city is. For a City of Los Angeles parcel, the City's ZIMAS map shows it, and a Burbank parcel shows in the City of Burbank's records. The LAAA Team sells on both sides of this line: 14 Burbank closings since 2015 and 130 in North Hollywood, Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Valley Village, Encino and Van Nuys, per our track record. This guide puts the two sides next to each other, in dollars where the rules allow it.
How much more transfer tax does a City of Los Angeles sale pay?
A Burbank sale pays only the county's $1.10 per $1,000. A City of Los Angeles sale pays the county's $1.10 plus the City's $4.50 per $1,000, and above $5,400,000 also Measure ULA, the tax often called the mansion tax: 4% of the whole price, or 5.5% at $10,900,000 and above, for sales closing after 06/30/2026, per the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder and the City's Office of Finance.
| Sale price | Burbank (county only) | City of LA tax | Measure ULA | City of LA side, total | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000,000 | $2,200 | $9,000 | $0 | $11,200 | $9,000 |
| $5,000,000 | $5,500 | $22,500 | $0 | $28,000 | $22,500 |
| $5,400,000 | $5,940 | $24,300 | $0 | $30,240 | $24,300 |
| $6,000,000 | $6,600 | $27,000 | $240,000 | $273,600 | $267,000 |
| $8,000,000 | $8,800 | $36,000 | $320,000 | $364,800 | $356,000 |
| $11,000,000 | $12,100 | $49,500 | $605,000 | $666,600 | $654,500 |
In this illustration the gap is modest until $5,400,000, then jumps: one dollar over the line, at $5,400,001, the City of Los Angeles side owes about $216,000 more than at $5,400,000, because ULA's 4% applies to the whole price, not only to the amount above the line. Our Measure ULA guide covers the thresholds, the exemptions and what has been tried to change it.
One Burbank sale, priced as if it were across the line. 525 E Elmwood Ave, a 24-unit Burbank building sold by another broker or owner (not an LAAA sale), recorded at $8,820,000 on 01/12/2026, according to our comparables file. In this illustration, its county tax in Burbank was $9,702; the same price in the City of Los Angeles at today's rates would pay $402,192 ($9,702 county, $39,690 City and $352,800 ULA). It was one of two Burbank sales above $5,400,000 among the 30 in our 2025 to 2026 sales table.
Our own latest Burbank sale, at a smaller price. 300 N Screenland Dr, five units that Morgan Wetmore sold with Glen Scher, closed 10/30/2026 at $1,700,000 all cash, per our records. In this illustration, its county tax in Burbank is $1,870; the same price in the City of Los Angeles would add $7,650 in City tax, $9,520 in all, at the rates in effect as of November 2026. Below the ULA line the gap is real but small next to the price, which is why the rent law below matters more on most Burbank sales.
Is ULA going away? Not as of 11/02/2026. The statewide initiative that would have curtailed it was withdrawn in 06/2026, according to LAist (06/26/2026), and the City's Office of Finance still lists the 07/01/2026 thresholds. The one ULA change on the 11/03/2026 ballot, Proposition TE, is a narrow exemption for residential property damaged in the Palisades Fire. Any broader change would take a vote or new law, and we would update this page.
Is rent control different in Burbank and Los Angeles?
Most older apartments in the City of Los Angeles are under the Rent Stabilization Ordinance, whose allowable increase is 3% from 07/01/2026 to 06/30/2027, per the Los Angeles Housing Department. Burbank has no local rent control; covered units there follow AB 1482, 8.7% in Los Angeles County from 08/01/2026, per the County's consumer affairs department.
| Rule | City of Los Angeles (Valley neighborhoods) | City of Burbank |
|---|---|---|
| Which buildings are covered | RSO: generally, rental units with a certificate of occupancy on or before 10/01/1978; newer units fall under the City's Just Cause Ordinance and AB 1482 (per LAHD, as of November 2026) | No local rent control; AB 1482 covers most buildings more than 15 years old |
| Yearly increase | 3% for RSO units, 07/01/2026 to 06/30/2027, under the City's formula of 90% of CPI with a 1% floor and 4% ceiling (per LAHD, as of November 2026) | 8.7% under AB 1482 from 08/01/2026 (per the County DCBA, as of November 2026) |
| Registration | RSO units are registered with the City each year | No rent registry |
| No-fault relocation | Set by LAHD's relocation schedule, which the City updates each year | At least three months' rent; one month for an owner or relative move-in (City FAQ, June 2026) |
| What a vacancy does | An RSO unit's rent can generally reset to market on a lawful vacancy, with exceptions (Ellis withdrawals among them) | Rent can reset to market on a vacancy; the AB 1482 cap then applies to the new tenancy (as of November 2026) |
The difference a buyer prices is the yearly increase: 3% under the RSO against up to 8.7% under AB 1482 for the 2026 to 2027 year. For covered units, neither side lets an owner end a tenancy without a reason the law accepts, and both require relocation pay when the reason is not the tenant's fault. In October 2025 Burbank's council directed staff to draft a 4% soft cap; as of the City's June 2026 FAQ none had been adopted. Our RSO guide and AB 1482 guide cover each law in full.
Do the soft-story rules differ on each side?
The City of Los Angeles's soft-story program is far along: of 12,347 buildings, 76% had certificates of compliance as of 02/01/2024, per the most recent LADBS status report we found. Burbank's program is new: retrofit plans are due 01/11/2027 and construction by 01/10/2030, per the City of Burbank's road map.
On the Los Angeles side a buyer usually asks whether the retrofit is done and finaled, and the LADBS record answers it. On the Burbank side the buyer asks whether the City served the building a soft-story order and, if it did, whether the owner has the Building Official's written exoneration or where the retrofit stands, what it will cost and who will do it. The City publishes no list by address. Our guide to selling a Burbank apartment building has the full Burbank schedule; the soft-story guide covers Los Angeles.
What does the city line mean for an owner?
- Above $5,400,000 the line is worth real money. In this illustration, at $6,000,000 the City of Los Angeles side pays $267,000 more in transfer tax than Burbank. Run the closing statement at every price you are weighing before you set one.
- Below it, the rent law matters more than the tax. At $2,000,000 the transfer tax gap is $9,000 (rates as of November 2026); the difference between a 3% yearly increase and one of up to 8.7% on the rent roll is what a buyer is pricing.
- Check the parcel, not the address. A Toluca Lake or North Hollywood address near the city line may sit on either side.
- Ask a broker who sells on both sides to put the two next to each other for your building. Morgan Wetmore and Glen Scher sell Burbank and the City of Los Angeles side of the Valley every year. See our Burbank page and the San Fernando Valley page for our closings on each side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Burbank part of the City of Los Angeles?
No. Burbank is its own incorporated city in Los Angeles County. The City of Los Angeles's rent law, transfer tax and Measure ULA do not apply there (as of November 2026).
Does the Los Angeles mansion tax (Measure ULA) apply in Burbank?
No. Measure ULA applies only to property in the City of Los Angeles. A Burbank sale pays only the county's $1.10 per $1,000, per the County Registrar-Recorder (as of November 2026).
What is the Measure ULA threshold in 2026?
For sales closing after 06/30/2026, 4% of the whole price when the price is above $5,400,000, and 5.5% of the whole price at $10,900,000 and above, per the City of Los Angeles Office of Finance. For 07/01/2025 to 06/30/2026 the thresholds were $5,300,000 and $10,600,000, per the City of Los Angeles Office of Finance (as recorded in our 09/23/2026 review).
What is the transfer tax on a $6 million apartment sale in Sherman Oaks versus Burbank?
In Sherman Oaks, $273,600: $6,600 county, $27,000 City of Los Angeles and $240,000 Measure ULA. In Burbank, $6,600, the county tax alone. Both at the rates in effect as of November 2026.
Are Studio City, Sherman Oaks and North Hollywood under the LA rent control law?
Yes, they are neighborhoods of the City of Los Angeles, so older apartment buildings there are generally under the RSO, with a 3% allowable increase from 07/01/2026 to 06/30/2027, per the Los Angeles Housing Department.
Is Toluca Lake in Burbank or Los Angeles?
Most of Toluca Lake is in the City of Los Angeles, and some addresses near the border are in Burbank. Check the parcel's city before relying on either city's rules.
Own a building near the line?
We run the transfer tax, the commission and the payoff at every price you are weighing, from our seller closing statement tool, and tell you how buyers on each side will price your rent roll.
Get a valuation of your buildingSources
- Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder, documentary transfer taxes, read 10/28/2026: lavote.gov
- City of Los Angeles Office of Finance, Measure ULA FAQ, read 10/28/2026 and rechecked 11/02/2026: finance.lacity.gov
- LAAA Team seller closing statement tool (Los Angeles County, City of Los Angeles and Measure ULA rates, thresholds reviewed 09/23/2026), run 10/28/2026 and for the 300 N Screenland price 11/02/2026.
- LAist, Los Angeles mansion tax will not face a statewide repeal vote, 06/26/2026: laist.com
- Los Angeles Housing Department, renter protections (RSO allowable increase 07/01/2026 to 06/30/2027), read 10/28/2026: housing.lacity.gov
- Los Angeles Housing Department, relocation assistance, read 10/28/2026: housing.lacity.gov
- Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs, understanding rent increases, 08/05/2026: dcba.lacounty.gov
- City of Burbank, Tenant Protection Ordinance FAQ, updated June 2026: burbankca.gov
- LADBS, soft-story retrofit compliance report, status as of 02/01/2024: dbs.lacity.gov
- City of Burbank, soft-story road map: burbankca.gov
- LAAA Team comparables file (525 E Elmwood Ave, 01/12/2026, not an LAAA sale), read 10/28/2026; LAAA Team closed transactions, including 300 N Screenland Dr, read 11/02/2026.
Rates and rules as of 11/02/2026. Worked figures are illustrations of the published rates, not a closing statement for any sale. Not tax, legal or pricing advice. LAAA Team of Marcus & Millichap.