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Virtual Tour Apartments in Los Angeles, CA

• Los Angeles
• Virtual Tour Apartments

How much does it cost to rent a virtual tour apartment in Los Angeles?

How many virtual tour apartments are available in los angeles, ca on rentable.co.

There are 109 virtual tour apartments in Los Angeles currently available for rent on Rentable.co.

What is the average rent for a virtual tour apartment in Los Angeles, CA?

The average monthly rent for a virtual tour apartment in Los Angeles is about $2,680.

How many studio virtual tour apartments are available in Los Angeles?

Rentable.co has 1,695 studio virtual tour apartments available for rent in Los Angeles.

How many one-bedroom virtual tour apartments are available in Los Angeles?

Rentable.co has 2,510 one-bedroom virtual tour apartments available for rent in Los Angeles.

How many two-bedroom virtual tour apartments are available in Los Angeles?

Rentable.co has 1,666 two-bedroom virtual tour apartments available for rent in Los Angeles.

Can I afford a virtual tour apartment in Los Angeles, CA?

To comfortably afford a virtual tour apartment in Los Angeles based on average rent prices, a household would need an annual income of $107,000.

Which neighborhoods have the most virtual tour apartments for rent in Los Angeles, CA?

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Downtown Los Angeles Apartment Tour: The Design Process & My Honest Thoughts

I can’t believe it’s been two years since I packed up my life and moved across the country to Los Angeles . I love living on the West Coast, and the transition has been surprisingly easy. While I miss my family and friends back East, I don’t miss the weather!

I knew I wanted to live in Downtown Los Angeles before I even moved out to LA. It seemed like a natural fit as an East Coaster: it’s walkable, has easy access to several freeways, and is super easy to get to LAX from DTLA with a toll/HOV pass. Plus, I lived within walking distance of Crypto.com Arena, the Staples Center (IYKYK), and the Convention Center, making attending concerts, games, and special events easy. 

I recently moved out of this apartment, but it was a special place that I loved calling home during my first two years in LA. Here is my Downtown Los Angeles Apartment Tour , some tips on how to find an apartment in LA, and my honest thoughts on DTLA living.

Downtown Los Angeles Apartment Tour

Downtown los angeles apartment tour: how to find the perfect apartment in la.

I moved to LA in the spring of 2021, and with COVID restrictions, I honestly wasn’t comfortable flying out to apartment hunt before my move. I booked an Airbnb for a month instead of moving straight into an apartment to see places in person and get a feel for the neighborhood I moved into.

I did some research before the move and fell in love with the apartment complex I ultimately moved into before ever seeing it in person. It was pretty new, and after touring, my partner and I learned that we would be the first people to move into our unit. We looked at a few more apartment buildings downtown, but it was tough to get a hold of leasing agents (something I also experienced during this moving process). While I reached out to several complexes, I only managed to secure a tour of a handful of them. You have to be persistent when apartment hunting in LA!

For this recent move, I ended up contacting a broker in addition to doing my own tours at bigger complexes, and I’d highly recommend my broker — Thania . She was attentive, got us in to tour some incredible spots, and was very responsive!

Downtown Los Angeles Apartment Tour: My Honest Thoughts on Living in DTLA

When I told people I lived in Downtown Los Angeles, I got some pretty extreme reactions: some people thought I lived on Skid Row, and some people were curious, as they knew it was an up-and-coming neighborhood.

Let’s talk about safety in DTLA. The high-rises in DTLA are secure — my building had a doorman, and residents had limited key-fob acesss (you could only access your floor, amenities floors, and the parking garage level), so I wasn’t even able to buzz myself up to my friend’s floors.

I felt safe in my apartment complex, but you must also have some common sense living in an inner city. Walking to the stadium for a game at night with friends was okay because there were thousands of people out. Walking alone at night? I wouldn’t recommend doing that anywhere, even if you live in a small town. Uber/Lyft/other rideshare options can get you around safely.

Some pros of living in DTLA: I had easy access to several freeways, so I could quickly get around town. Visiting my friends in the valley? No problem. Getting to the airport? A breeze. Yes, I was sitting in traffic quite a bit, but having a direct route to pretty much anywhere in the area was great. I also lived within walking distance of three different grocery stores, Sephora, Target, Sweetgreen, and Mendocino Farms…it was super easy to run errands here!

Let’s talk about some of the cons of living in DTLA (specifically, near the convention center and stadiums): A few events were happening near us at times, and street closures would prevent us from driving outside of our neighborhood (the president, VP, and other world leaders were hosted at events near our old apartment, and we pretty much had to cancel all of our plans when that happened!)

After chatting with some people who had lived in DTLA for a while, it seems that DTLA never really recovered fully from the pandemic and lockdown. It used to be a lot more bustling, but now, there are a bunch of empty high-rise office buildings, and it just feels quieter. Restaurants near me closed for lockdown, and some never opened back up. I found myself hanging out in the Arts District of DTLA more, which was only 10 minutes away from my old apartment. It felt more local, had some of the best restaurants in the city, and had more mom-and-pop businesses than big chain stores and eateries. 

Downtown Los Angeles Apartment Tour: The Design Process

Even though I’ve moved quite a bit, I still wanted this apartment to feel like home. I hired Shannon Claire to design my living room since we had a few challenges with organizing the space. I also hired Alia from The Styled Stories for professional organizing. These two ladies were lifesavers in getting this apartment together, and I hope to work with them soon! Shannon offers virtual design packages, while Alia services clients in the LA area.

When I moved cross-country, I sold almost all of my furniture and only brought my bed, desk, and other small pieces. It was nice to have a fresh start in the new space! I downsized from a 2500-sq ft townhome in Virginia to a 950 sq ft one-bedroom apartment in LA, so getting rid of things before moving was essential. I’m so glad I didn’t try to bring too many furniture pieces from my old space!

I wanted to add color to my living room, but I didn’t want to paint or add wallpaper this time since I knew we’d outgrow our plane quickly, so Shannon found some fun, colorful options for me! We had two rounds of the design process, and I combined pieces from both designs to create something fun and my own. 

Alright, alright: I think it’s time to get into the actual apartment tour now!

Downtown Los Angeles Apartment Tour: Living Room

This is the money shot and what convinced me to rent this apartment. This corner unit got incredible light, and we had a pretty ample, open space. This space also doubled as an office, and I placed my desk here and some shelves for additional storage.

We wanted the couch to face out to the windows and not mount the TV to the wall, so we found this Samsung Serif TV with a sleek design to easily move around the space. I will candidly say that Samsung does not have the best customer service, and the TV arrived with a broken remote that they never replaced (despite multiple calls, emails, and chats), so even though the product is beautiful, I probably won’t buy another Samsung TV again.

Details: TV: Samsung | Couch: Article | Coffee Table: West Elm | Yellow Rug: Anthropologie (Sold Out) | Chairs: Four Hands (Sold Out) | Throw Pillow #1: Etsy | Throw Pillow #2: The Citizenry |  Light Fixture: Hudson Valley Lighting | Art Print #1: Minted | Floor Lamp: Safavieh | Disco Balls: Living Colorfully Shop | Side Table: West Elm | Bar Cart: Pottery Barn (Sold Out)  

Office area: art print #2: block shop textiles  | desk: west elm | chair: world market (sold out) | blue rug: anthropologie  | floating shelves: pottery barn.

Downtown Los Angeles Apartment Tour: Kitchen

This kitchen drove me crazy, but we made it work to the best of our ability. For some reason, there was only one drawer in the entire kitchen. ONE!! Most of my kitchen appliances were left in storage.

I bought this island from IKEA for some extra storage, and it doubled nicely as a kitchen table. I always desperately need extra wine storage, so I moved the wine fridge I had in Virginia over to the new space.

Details: Kitchen Island: IKEA | Counter Stools: West Elm | Wine Fridge: Lowes  

Downtown Los Angeles Apartment Tour: Bedroom

Okay, this bedroom was never finished and is bland. I was advised not to hang art above the bed just in case of earthquakes, so I was thinking of using a peel-and-stick wallpaper behind the bed to give this space some extra oomph, but I never got around to it.

I will say: this closet was AMAZING, and I miss it so, so much. It holds so much. You can view a closet tour over on my TikTok .

Details: Bed Frame: Burke Decor | Light Fixture: Anthropologie | Duvet Cover: West Elm | Jewelry Box: The Container Store | Wall Baskets: Etsy | Bench: One Kings Lane

  did you enjoy this downtown los angeles apartment tour check out more of my home decor posts here .

Photos by Tom McGovern

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Your apartment was absolutely stunning!! Thank you for sharing! I hope you’re loving your new place too.

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Beaudry elevates classic California modern architecture and design to new heights. It possesses a minimalism that emphasizes light, air, and views with a multitude of spaces that bring the outdoors inside. Beaudry enables an optimized lifestyle — one that is both high-performing and easy-going with carefully curated amenities, breathtaking views, and beautiful finishes for the ultimate DTLA living experience.

Rising more than 600 feet above the city, Beaudry offers an elevated living experience in DTLA, driven by innovative design, exceptional amenities, and superior craftsmanship.

The modern open homes feature unparalleled views, many that stretch beyond the city to the mountains and ocean.

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La apartments virtual tours:.

$1595 USD / Month

12955-A Short Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 90066, United States.

$2695 USD / Month

800 sf sq.ft

16 Thornton Ave, Apt 204, Los Angeles, CA, 90291, United States.

Single Apartment

$3995 USD / Month

1350 sf sq.ft

1967 18th St, Apt 6, Santa Monica, CA, 90404, United States.

$2600 USD / Month

3333 Mentone Ave, Apt 11, Los Angeles, CA 90034 United States

1025 Orange Drive, Apt 105, Los Angeles, CA, 90019, United States

$1995 USD / Month

3875 Wade Street Apt. 2, Los Angeles, CA, 90066

$2095 USD / Month

12730 Pacific Ave., Apt #2, Los Angeles, CA 90066, United States

850 sf sq.ft

12711 Pacific Ave, Apt 6, Los Angeles, CA, 90066, United States.

$3000 USD / Month

16 Thornton Ave, Apt 105, Venice Beach, CA 90291, United States

This apartment becomes available again on : August 1, 2021

650 sf sq.ft

$1495 USD / Month

774 sf sq.ft

1025 Orange Drive, Apt 206, Los Angeles, CA, 90019, United States.

700 SF sq.ft

840 Chestnut Ave Apt 14, Los Angeles, CA, 90042, United States

$1445 USD / Month

4219 Rosewood Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90004, United States

$1395 USD / Month

600 sf sq.ft

1801 N Gramercy Pl, Apt 2, Los Angeles, CA, 90028, United States.

33 Clubhouse Ave Apt 11 Los Angeles CA 90291 United States

$1195 USD / Month

500 sf sq.ft

3875 Wade Street, Apt.#3A, Los Angeles, CA 90066

This apartment becomes available again on : December 1, 2021

$1345 USD / Month

Bachelor bed

12730 Pacific Ave Apt 8A, Los Angeles, CA, 90066, United States.

12750 Venice Blvd, Apt 2, Los Angeles, CA 90066 United States

$1795 USD / Month

12621 Caswell Ave. Apt. # 9, Los Angeles, CA, 90066, USA.

3760 Dufresne Ave, Apt. #22, Los Angeles, CA 90034, United States

6717 Leland Way, Apt 23, Hollywood, CA 90028 United States

6717 Leland Way, Apt 26, Hollywood, CA 90028 United States

6717 Leland Way, Apt 33, Hollywood, CA 90028 United States

3333 Mentone Ave, Apt 6, Los Angeles, CA, 90034, United States.

$1695 USD / Month

1025 Orange Drive, Apt 208, Los Angeles, CA, 90019, United States

1025 Orange Drive, Apt 205, Los Angeles, CA, 90019, United States

$1394 USD / Month

4305 Centinela Ave Apt 9 Los Angeles CA 90066 United States

This apartment becomes available again on : November 1, 2021

3118 S Durango Ave, Apt. #6, Los Angeles, CA 90034 United States

33 Clubhouse Ave Apt 7 Los Angeles CA 90291 United States

3760 Dufresne Ave, Apt. #28, Los Angeles, CA 90034, United States

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Queer Eye's Bobby Berk Unveiled His Best Design Project Yet—His Own L.A. Pad

Christie has been writing for MyDomaine for almost two years. She was an assistant editor for the site for over a year before starting as a contributing freelance writer. She's currently an e-commerce lifestyle writer for Meredith Corporation.

Bobby Berk , a member of the Fab Five on Netflix's hit show Queer Eye , is known for his ability to transform interiors. In each episode of the show, Berk manages to create stunning spaces in a matter of days that not only look beautiful but also reflect the personal style of those lucky enough to receive his design expertise. And this time around, Berk turned his attention to his own home.

He and husband Dewey Do recently designed their one-bedroom Los Angeles apartment, located in a historic building downtown, with the help of AllModern. It was a natural transition to find a place in DTLA after living in New York, according to Berk. " I was attracted to downtown as it's the most metropolitan part of the city and that was familiar to me," he told AllModern. As for the design, Berk sums up his style in three words: " organic, graphic, sophisticated ."

Step inside the design guru's beautiful L.A. apartment below and shop the look for yourself.

Berk had a clear vision in mind when designing his L.A. apartment. "I tend to love black and white and high contrast elements in my designs, but to balance that out I love to use warm woods, woven elements for texture, and of course lots of plants," he explained. The goal was to create a space that's equal parts sophisticated and inviting.

The living room décor began with a bit of inspiration from Pinterest, of all places. "I saw some inkblot wallpaper on Pinterest, and fell in love with the graphic black and white shapes and the amazing scale of the print," Berk shared with AllModern. "I knew this would make a striking backdrop to build the design around."

In addition to the powerful custom wallcovering , Berk was interested in creating a contemporary look that also incorporated rustic elements. Note the fringe pillows, woven basket, and teak stool that bring the room together.

The dining room carries over these same design aspects, incorporating black leather chairs, wooden tables and cabinets, and plenty of houseplants. 

"It's actually rather large for a one-bedroom apartment, and my husband and I loved that we could entertain our friends here," Berk said. This dining room is just the place to gather with loved ones thanks to ample seating and a wall mirror that makes the room feel even more expansive.

The dining room is simple, perfect for entertaining, but also makes a statement. Two wooden herringbone china cabinets create symmetry and solidify the space. "I love having a glass of wine at the table with my husband, catching up on our days, and spending quality time together," said Berk to AllModern.

Berk admitted the bedroom was the most challenging space to design. While the bed looks stunning in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, he was concerned about street noise. "But with the roller shades and curtains, it actually cut the noise down," he explained. "It made it worth it to improve the circulation of the room."

Berk's vision of an organic, graphic, and sophisticated home has clearly come to fruition in his new L.A. apartment and, according to him, it was a natural process that came together with ease. "[The bed placement] was my only real space planning debate," he revealed. "Everything else really fell into place pretty naturally."

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How student housing around USC is transforming a historic Black and Latino neighborhood

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Only a year ago the little gray and yellow house on 35th Place was nestled among similar early 20th century homes interspersed with a few postwar apartments.

Today it is flanked on one side by two four-story buildings and on the other by three buildings under construction.

Scenes like that are playing out on almost every block in the neighborhood west of the USC campus. A building boom is transforming a historic Black and Latino neighborhood into a village of modern student housing, unchecked by planning constraints that were enacted more than a decade ago specifically to hold off such a boom.

Similar development occurs over large portions of South Los Angeles where small firms have learned to max out the area’s underutilized multi-family zones that allow much more density than the single-family zones that are the bedrock of the city’s suburbs.

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But nowhere are the buildings as large, or the transformation occurring faster, than in the mile radius around USC. The drastic change is raising concerns that working-class families are being displaced — either lured by cash offers that aren’t enough to buy housing elsewhere or forced from affordable rentals — to be replaced by a well-to-do transitory population.

“I’m most concerned that new housing is being created for temporary residents at the expense of housing for permanent residents, multi-generational residents, people who are committed to the neighborhood,” said Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who is pushing for tighter planning restrictions he hopes will slow the pace.

But the neighborhood immediately west of USC, from Vermont Avenue to Western Avenue, may have crossed the tipping point where it is too late to slow the development.

“I feel like the horse has left the barn in some ways,” said Cynthia Strathmann, executive director of Strategic Actions for a Just Economy , a nonprofit that researches and promotes housing policies to benefit low-income Angelenos.

“It’s not surprising,” Strathmann said. “SAJE has been talking to USC about development around USC for the last 20 years, sort of knowing that this was coming based on some of the signs we’ve been seeing for a long time.”

The transformation is moving so swiftly that almost any random block has construction in progress on one or two lots, a recently completed building or two and a boarded-up house with a demolition notice posted on a construction fence.

SAJE has surveyed one block of 36th Place three times, in 1999, 2009 and last year, working with students of USC sociology professor Leland Saito .

“Even between 1999 and 2009 you were already seeing this massive displacement of community members,” Strathmann said. Last year’s survey found only one person living on the block who was not a student.

Saito, who lives in a small white house at the corner of 37th Drive and South Catalina Avenue, said he feels caught up in forces beyond his control, as both a victim of the gentrification around him — with his street being overrun by tall buildings—and a gentrifier himself. He bought his house in 2008 on the salary of a university professor.

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As the L.A. rental market soars out of reach for many working families, one community wants to hold on to its low-cost housing.

May 5, 2023

A combination of an aging homeowner population and the growing number of university students searching for housing has attracted a handful of determined developers whose agents walk door-to-door soliciting homeowners to sell.

A Neighborhood Stabilization Ordinance adopted in 2008 was designed to preserve the low-density character of the working-class neighborhood in the shadow of L.A. County’s largest private employer.

But loopholes in the planning law have allowed developers to build up to four stories, in most cases by-right, meaning they require no planning review.

“It seems to me they have a room full of people trying to find loopholes in the city’s building permit process,” Harris-Dawson said.

What they found was a way around the limit on habitable rooms. If one is a combination kitchen/living room, the rest can be bedrooms. For students, four small ones will do.

A stroll down one block of 35th Place is like viewing a time lapse of a long-stable neighborhood caught in sudden flux.

After 46 years in his house near Normandie Avenue, Glen Flowers has sold it for $1.1 million and is planning to relocate to his native Belize.

The house next door, which recently sold, is boarded up and growing waist-high weeds in its front yard. A four-story apartment building towers over Flowers’ back yard.

He stays in touch with some former neighbors who sold out earlier.

“They’ve moved out to the valleys and stuff like that,” he said. “I think there’s only one, two, three, four, five permanents on this block anymore.”

One neighbor sold his home early in the gentrification process for $800,000 and regrets it , he said.

“You know, I talked to him lately. He was sorry, because the money he got for his house, he wasn’t able to buy another house. And he spent that money and he’s in trouble.”

For those remaining, noise, dust and road blockages are common complaints.

Renters, too, find the change unsettling.

Vanisa Vacarro, a renter, said the neighborhood is a predominantly Belizean community . She lives in her apartment with her two young children. She said she’s concerned about increased rent prices but doesn’t feel pressure from her landlord to leave the building.

Vacarro lives in a 1970s two-story apartment. Though she has not seen any indication the owner would sell, she still feels anxious about what would happen if she had to leave.

She recently was able to move into a two-bedroom unit, and she knows she would have to move her two children into a one-bedroom again if she is evicted.

Several homeowners interviewed by The Times were ambivalent on the issue of gentrification, weighing the loss of community against the increase in value and an intangible —their sense of security.

They said that security provided by USC has eliminated gangs, drug sales and other crimes that once plagued the neighborhood.

“We love what USC has done in terms of the development of community, things that were a little different 20, 30, 40 years ago,” said Donald Harrison, who lives in the back house on a lot across the street from Flowers.

“I’m sure it’s mixed emotions for a lot of people,” Harrison said. “For sure, we would all like to say, ‘Oh, the parking is bad.’ Yeah, that’s no different than it was 20 years ago. It was even worse, you know, with the gang violence and the drugs and all the other stuff that came along with it.”

Harrison said he may consider leaving one day, but not while his mother is still in the front house.

“She’s 88 now, and we’re trying to let her live her glory days where she wants to live it, you know.”

Stephen Berkeley, a pool table repairman who lives behind his mother-in-law’s house in the middle of the block, also accepts the change as progress.

“I’m for progress, but then sometimes progress overshadows the memories of the neighborhood, you understand what I’m saying?” Berkeley said. “And we’re losing and somebody’s winning.”

Berkeley said his 99-year-old mother-in-law was born in the front house and plans to leave it to her grandchildren. He thinks they’ll sell, but he’s OK with that.

“I don’t want to stop anything,” he said.

Besides their disproportionate size, the new buildings rising in the neighborhood are set apart by their bright colors, splashy design features, sophisticated but small gardens and lots of bedrooms.

By stacking buildings two or three deep on a lot, each a duplex with up to three bedrooms, developers can place a dozen or more bedrooms where a modest wood-sided cottage once stood.

What distinguishes the new buildings most, in the eyes of critics, is that, despite the added density, they provide no replacement housing for the residents they displace.

Compared to the boxy, family-oriented duplexes rising in many parts of South Los Angeles, the developers here have created a housing model specifically aimed at students.

The small bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, are leased individually at rates ranging from the low $1,000s to more than $2,000 per bedroom.

They serve a market arising from the steady growth of USC’s enrollment, especially graduate students, coupled with the inability of the university to add more housing on its built-out campus.

The university provides housing for only a small fraction of its nearly 49,000 students. It guarantees housing for first- and second- year undergraduates in 7,200 beds in residence halls and leased off-campus apartments, including the 800-unit University Gateway Apartments on Figueroa Street. An additional 1,300 off-campus units are leased to graduate students and their families.

The private market has stepped into the gap. Over the years, many of the postwar apartment buildings scattered among the predominantly single-family homes west of the campus have entered the student market, advertising their availability with large banners bearing the cardinal and gold school colors.

In 2011, L.A. developer Geoffrey Palmer obtained city approval for Lorenzo, a 914-unit mixed-use development east of the 110 Freeway billed as an upscale student community.

1. The home of Glen Flowers in the 1300 block of 35th Place which he recently sold to developers is dwarfed by multi-story student-oriented development that is transforming the bungalow neighborhood west of USC. 2. New multi story developments in the 1300 block of 35th Place is changing the neighborhood as developers are building multi-story student-oriented buildings transforming the bungalow neighborhood west of USC. (Al Seib/For The Times)

Since Lorenzo opened, demand has continued to rise as enrollment grew by nearly 11,000, about 70% of whom are graduate students.

The university has no affiliation with private developers but it has acknowledged its role in the off-campus housing by partnering with the website Off Campus Housing 101 where community rentals are listed.

Around 2018, developer interest that was focused on the area immediately west of campus accelerated into a buying spree spreading to Western Avenue.

A Times analysis of L.A. County Assessor records shows that 24 properties were purchased by limited liability corporations that year in the area bounded by Vermont and Western avenues and Jefferson and Exposition boulevards. Purchases by LLCs, a precursor to development, steadily increased in subsequent years, totaling 274 parcels through 2022.

Los Angeles city building records show that 135 permits to construct duplexes and 10 for apartments have been issued in 2018 or later, and 191 demolition permits have been issued, indicating that more is yet to come. Of the new construction permits, 72 are for three-story buildings and 36 for four-story buildings.

The effect is a dramatic reshaping of the neighborhood.

The Rev. Matt Keadle of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church has seen his congregation get smaller and smaller throughout the years as permanent residents have moved out of the neighborhood.

Keadle said one worshiper had lived in the area for decades before selling her home. She was a director of the church’s preschool and even cooked hot meals for those in need. When she moved out, Keadle said, a big-box building of student apartments replaced her home.

“It was just so emblematic of the change that we’ve seen. Students contribute to the neighborhood in different ways,” he said, “but it’s different from [someone] who has been here for generations.”

Keadle said he, along with other community organizations, have tried to collaborate with private developers in the past. However, the talks have broken down.

“We just couldn’t come to an agreement that we felt like was going to benefit everyone,” Keadle said. “We’ve certainly tried and we will continue to do so.”

Oscar Rodriguez, who enjoys afternoons on the veranda of his Craftsman house surrounded by flowering bougainvillea and manicured vines, jokes that the forlorn gray and yellow house across the street reminds him of the movie “Up,” with a tiny home stuck between massive buildings.

The only longtime neighbor he was close to sold their home recently after 38 years. Maybe one day he’ll do the same, but he still says no to the constant offers.

“Well, I think that I’m kind of settled down here, and I have no need to try to get in another adventure,” he said.

The construction on Rodriguez’s block is by-right, meaning it is consistent with the R1.5 zoning. Developers need only go to City Hall to file for a building permit.

The 2008 Neighborhood Preservation Overlay — additional zoning rules imposed on a specific area — imposed additional design standards that are nominally intended to protect the neighborhood’s character. In practice, they don’t.

Records obtained from the city Planning Department show that designs submitted for review are approved without comment.

In a 2020 motion asking the Planning Department for ideas to better protect the neighborhood, Harris-Dawson lamented that “community members and other civic stakeholders are seeking to understand why, despite the implementation of land use controls, there continues to be a loss of affordable housing and an overconcentration of student housing near the University Park/Expo Park community.”

The overlay requires a public hearing and approval by a zoning administrator for any dwelling with five or more habitable rooms per unit. With three or four bedrooms and a common living area, the student model doesn’t reach that standard.

The Harris-Dawson motion would tighten the standard to four habitable rooms. It is currently under review by the city attorney.

The developers who are turning the neighborhood upside down generally keep a low profile. They usually form separate LLCs for each property, masking their identities. A Times analysis of company mailing addresses identified dozens of small operators and 10 firms that owned five or more properties in the neighborhood.

The largest, Tripalink, has projects either completed or in progress on 23 parcels in the 43-block area and owns another 20 parcels. The company runs a shuttle bus service through the neighborhood to take students to campus.

Formed in 2016 by USC graduate Donghao Li, Tripalink now boasts 10,000 units under management including luxury apartments in downtown L.A., Koreatown, Philadelphia, Chicago and Seattle. The company’s website says it specializes in co-living apartments.

Harris-Dawson said his office receives complaints about noisy construction that starts early in the morning and blocks streets and sidewalks.

There are also complaints that developers, including Tripalink, have bought and demolished houses without obtaining city permits, thus avoiding review of rules that seek to preserve neighborhood character.

Li did not respond to multiple requests to speak with The Times.

Recently, an unexpected twist emerged when the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority leased a newly completed triplex west of Exposition Park to house 20 people being removed from street encampments through Mayor Karen Bass’ Inside Safe program.

It turns out that the student model of individual bedrooms with private bathrooms sharing common living areas is also a good match for formerly homeless people, said Kris Freed, whose consulting firm is working to sign up master leases for LAHSA.

Freed, who thinks the building boom may have oversaturated the student market, is negotiating with 12 developers of new buildings.

A potential windfall of badly needed housing for homeless people is viewed favorably by residents, neighborhood advocates and political leaders alike.

“That would be great if they started using it for homeless persons,” said Flowers, the homeowner who just sold out. “The population is growing by the day,”

But that wouldn’t solve the fundamental problem: displacement of longtime residents.

Frustrated by the ineffectiveness of past strategies, Harris-Dawson has introduced a new proposal that would require developers to notify tenants of their legal rights, deny future demolition permits to those found to have infringed tenant rights and give tenants a right to sue over violations of the zoning code.

A hearing before the council Planning and Land Use Management Committee has been postponed several times.

Regardless of the motion’s fate, Strathmann of SAJE thinks a broader approach is needed. Among other things, she said, displaced tenants should have an immediate right of return to housing somewhere else in the neighborhood, and builders should be required to create larger bedrooms.

“How about you replace it with the same size rooms, so families can live there,” she said.

More to Read

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Opinion: Don’t gut L.A.’s best shot at building affordable housing

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Los Angeles Times senior writer Doug Smith scouts Los Angeles for the ragged edges where public policy meets real people, combining data analysis and gumshoe reporting to tell L.A. stories through his more than 50 years of experience covering the city.

Angie Orellana Hernandez is a 2023-24 reporting fellow at the Los Angeles Times. She previously worked at The Times as an arts and entertainment intern. She graduated from USC, where she studied journalism and Spanish. Prior to joining The Times, she covered entertainment, as well as human interest, legal and crime stories at E! News. Her writing can also be found in USA Today, the Boston Globe, CNN and KCRA3.

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