Brentwood

No. Brentwood is a neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles, mostly in ZIP 90049, served by LAPD, the Los Angeles Fire Department and LAUSD. It borders the City of Santa Monica along parts of 26th Street and San Vicente, so a few addresses near the line need a quick check. Because it is City of LA, Measure ULA applies to sales above the threshold.

The hillside areas north of Sunset are designated a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. The 2019 Getty Fire, sparked when a branch hit power lines near the 405, destroyed 10 homes. In January 2025 the Palisades Fire brought evacuation orders to parts of Brentwood, including Mandeville Canyon, where at least one home burned. Below Sunset the risk is lower, but buyers anywhere in Brentwood should get insurance quotes early, and canyon owners should expect annual LAFD brush clearance requirements.

Brentwood is in LAUSD. Local options include Kenter Canyon Charter Elementary, the Brentwood Science magnet (admission is by application), and Paul Revere Charter Middle School. High school assignment depends on the address, with Palisades Charter High and University High serving different parts of the area. Brentwood also has several private schools, including Brentwood School and The Archer School for Girls. Confirm the assignment for the specific house with LAUSD's school locator.

Los Angeles limits house size with the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance on flat single-family lots and the Baseline Hillside Ordinance in the canyons, which also restricts grading. The allowable size depends on lot area, zoning and slope, so two lots on the same street can come out differently. Pull the zoning on the city's ZIMAS map and, for a serious teardown plan, get an architect or land-use consultant to run the numbers before you are in contract.

Yes. Measure ULA adds a transfer tax on City of Los Angeles sales above an inflation-adjusted threshold. For sales closing after June 30, 2026, it is 4% on sales above $5.4 million and 5.5% at $10.9 million and up, on top of the regular city and county transfer taxes. The seller usually pays it, and it is applied to the whole price, which makes pricing just above a threshold expensive.

Most of Brentwood's condos sit in the blocks between San Vicente and Wilshire, in buildings from the 1960s onward. Review the HOA budget, reserves and recent special assessments, and ask whether the association has finished the balcony and elevated-deck inspections state law now requires. A rented condo in a building first occupied before October 1, 1978 is usually covered by the city's Rent Stabilization Ordinance.

Sunset Boulevard and San Vicente carry most local traffic, and the 405 at Sunset is the way to the Valley through the Sepulveda Pass or south toward LAX. Westwood and UCLA are minutes away, Century City and Santa Monica are short drives, and downtown Los Angeles depends heavily on the time of day. Rush hour on Sunset near the 405 is one of the Westside's well-known bottlenecks.

Gary Jacobs can pull recent sales for any Brentwood street, separate original houses from new construction, and flag fire zone and zoning details before you tour. He can also compare canyon properties with homes in the flats and help you get insurance quotes started early, while you still have time to walk away.