Los Angeles County has not enacted a countywide vacancy tax on empty homes or commercial space. Unincorporated areas and most LA County cities impose no annual penalty on vacant property, although several cities including Santa Monica have studied measures.
There is no LA County Code chapter authorizing a vacancy tax in unincorporated areas, and the Board of Supervisors has not placed a vacancy tax on a countywide ballot through 2026. Property owners with vacant homes or storefronts in unincorporated communities like East LA, Marina del Rey, or Altadena pay only standard property tax under Proposition 13 plus any blight or nuisance penalties under LA County Code Title 11. Within incorporated cities, Los Angeles City studied Measure ULA companion vacancy proposals but none have passed citywide. Berkeley and San Francisco have empty-home taxes; LA County peers have not yet followed.
Because no vacancy tax exists countywide, there are no vacancy-tax penalties. Vacant property may still be cited under LA County Title 11 nuisance or blight rules, with daily fines, abatement liens, and receivership in extreme cases.
Lancaster, CA
Lancaster requires vacant lot owners to maintain their property including regular mowing, weed control, trash removal, and securing the site against trespass.
Lancaster, CA
Lancaster enforces property maintenance standards to prevent blight. Unmaintained properties with peeling paint, broken windows, or accumulated debris may fa...
See how Lancaster's vacancy tax rules stack up against other locations.
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