Santa Monica property management, done in-house — SMRCB compliance, MAR (Maximum Allowable Rent) tracking, annual registration, §1947.12 notices, and Santa Monica Tenant Protection Ordinance handling done by our team. Serving North of Montana, Sunset Park, Wilmont, Ocean Park, and Mid-City Santa Monica.
Santa Monica is an independent city with the Santa Monica Rent Control Board (SMRCB) — one of the oldest and strictest rent control regimes in California. It is NOT LA RSO. Different rules, different registration, different ceiling. Most LA-side managers get this wrong every year.
Santa Monica’s Rent Control Charter covers most rental units built before April 10, 1979. Annual SMRCB registration is required for every covered unit. Vacancy-control rules differ from LA RSO — this is one of the few remaining strict vacancy-control jurisdictions.
Every SMRCB-controlled unit has a Maximum Allowable Rent set by the Board — it’s the legal ceiling, regardless of market rent. We track the MAR for every owner unit and never go above it.
The Santa Monica General Adjustment is set by the Rent Control Board each September. The current rate (Sept 2025 → Aug 2026) reflects Santa Monica’s formula — it differs from LA RSO. We apply the current GA correctly on every unit.
Newer construction (post-1979) and SFRs owned by individuals (with proper exemption notice) fall under California’s AB 1482 instead of SMRCB. Two regimes in one city — we verify each unit at lease signing.
SMRCB has its own Just Cause provisions — stricter than state-level AB 1482. No-fault terminations require relocation payments per the Santa Monica schedule, not the AB 1482 schedule. We handle every notice on schedule.
Santa Monica has its own Tenant Protection Ordinance (TPO) — stricter than state harassment law, with steep per-violation penalties for things like incorrect notice service, unauthorized entry, and improper rent demands. We service every notice to Santa Monica TPO spec.
What 90401, 90402, 90403, 90404, and 90405 are actually earning right now — pulled from public rental listings and SMRCB-published rent ceilings. Updated monthly.
Tap any pocket for what rents there, who rents it, and the LA rent-law nuance that shapes every lease.
The premium SFR tier north of Montana Ave — Adelaide, Georgina, Marguerita. Trophy estates, 1920s Spanish-colonials, and contemporary rebuilds within walking distance of the Montana commercial strip.
Pre-WWII SFRs $12K–$25K. Updated 4BR+ trophies $20K–$40K+. Bluff-edge ocean-view estates $30K–$80K+.
Studio principals, A-list talent, and ultra-high-net-worth families. Multi-year leases standard; many tenants come through private channels.
North of Montana SFRs (owned by individuals) typically fall under AB 1482 rather than SMRCB, with the owner-individual exemption properly disclosed in the lease. We verify each unit’s regime at signing and handle §1947.12 notices on every rent increase.
The residential heart south of Wilshire — Sunset Park’s 1940s grid plus the Wilmont blocks between 14th and Lincoln. Mix of SFRs, duplexes, and pre-1979 walk-up apartment buildings.
Sunset Park SFRs $7K–$13K. Wilmont SFRs $8K–$14K. Pre-1979 SMRCB duplexes / fourplexes $2,400–$4,500 per unit at the Maximum Allowable Rent.
Studio professionals, design-industry executives, and family renters drawn to Santa Monica High School and the Sunset Park / Main Street walkability.
Most pre-1979 multi-units are SMRCB-controlled — annual registration, Maximum Allowable Rent enforcement, strict Just Cause. SFRs and post-1979 units fall under AB 1482. We verify each unit’s regime at lease signing.
The Main Street and Pico Blvd corridors plus the dense Mid-City Santa Monica apartment grid. Heavy SMRCB territory — most buildings predate 1979.
SMRCB pre-1979 apartments: 1BR $1,800–$2,600 (at MAR); 2BR $2,400–$3,800 (at MAR). Ocean Park beach-adjacent units rent higher at vacancy.
Long-tenure working renters (sometimes 20+ years under SMRCB), creative-class professionals, and Silicon Beach commuters. Vacancy-control means low turnover.
These are SMRCB’s densest jurisdictions — annual SMRCB registration, Maximum Allowable Rent at the unit level, and stricter-than-state Just Cause. We handle registration, MAR tracking, and §1947.12-equivalent SMRCB notices end-to-end.
Six core services, one phone number. Less stress, more rent, no surprises.
Listed on Zillow, Apartments.com, and Trulia within 24 hours of signing — with professional photography, comp-based pricing pulled from your block, and copy that attracts qualified Santa Monica renters fast.
Full background, credit, eviction history, employment, and prior landlord references. We approve only renters who can provably afford 3× the rent — documented in a screening trail that protects you under fair housing law.
Tenants pay through a secure online portal. Late payments pursued the day they're due. Direct-deposit into your account by the 10th of every month — no chasing checks.
Move-in, move-out, and periodic drive-bys — documented with date-stamped photos that protect your deposit case and catch small issues before they become expensive.
Vetted Westside vendors. Transparent bids. Photo-documented repairs. Pre-approved limits for small issues; big-ticket items always get owner sign-off — and SMRCB architectural review where required.
Monthly statements with full income, expense, and performance tracking. Year-end packets sent directly to your CPA in early January. Books always audit-ready.
No surprises. No chasing. No mystery onboarding fees that show up six weeks in.
Tell us about your property. We pull comparable rents from your block, walk the unit (in person or virtually), and send a written proposal within 24 hours — including an AB 1482 / LAHD compliance review. No obligation.
Lease audit, AB 1482 disclosure check, LAHD verification, SMRCB coordination if applicable, professional listing photos, syndication across Zillow, Apartments.com, and Trulia — all within a week of signing.
On-time direct deposits by the 10th of every month. Transparent monthly statements. One point of contact for everything — maintenance, lease renewals, LAHD filings, HOA notices, all of it.
We earn our fee on results — measurable response times, on-time rent collection, and full AB 1482, LA RSO, LAHD Rent Registry, and SMRCB compliance. If we miss the service standards in your management agreement, the next month's management fee is on us. No fine print, no fight, no excuses.
The questions Santa Monica owners actually ask — about rent rules, leasing speed, fees, HOA coordination, and what we do that the national chains don't.
Same Dom-led team, same standards, same Performance Guarantee — across every neighborhood listed below. Click any to see local pricing, micro-area expertise, and what we do differently in each market.
Don't see your neighborhood? Ask us — we likely cover it →
Free property analysis. Written proposal in 24 hours. No obligation, no high-pressure call. Just data — what your Santa Monica rental could be earning, where it's underperforming, and an AB 1482 / LAHD compliance review thrown in.
✓ No commitment ✓ 24-hour turnaround ✓ From our team