Cheviot Hills Homeowner Guide: LADBS Permits, ADUs and Selling As-Is

Last updated November 13, 2026. Reviewed by the Cash Home Buyers CA team.

Cheviot Hills is a City of Los Angeles neighborhood in the West Los Angeles Community Plan area, so permits run through LADBS and ADU rules follow the city ordinance. City documents describe the Cheviot Hills homeowners associations as made up of single-family homeowners. Older single-family homes in an established neighborhood tend to carry remodel and garage-conversion histories, and this guide covers what to check before you sell.

Cheviot Hills at a glance

Governing city	City of Los Angeles
Permits	LADBS: PermitLA for Express Permit projects, ePlanLA for plan check; Angeleno account required
Community plan area	West Los Angeles Community Plan, which City Planning says includes Cheviot Hills, Century City, Rancho Park and Sawtelle
Code enforcement	LADBS for building complaints; LAHD for properties with two or more units, (866) 557-7368
ADUs	City ordinance, LAMC 12.22 A.33; limits vary by unit type (ZA Memo 143)
Historic overlay	Not found: Cheviot Hills did not appear in the City Planning HPOZ list excerpt I reviewed; verify the parcel
Hillside and fire zone	Not found in official sources I reviewed; check the specific parcel

An established single-family neighborhood

A City environmental document describes the Cheviot Hills homeowners associations as groups of single-family homeowners in the West Los Angeles Community Plan area. For a seller, the practical point is age: houses in older neighborhoods often have additions, enclosed porches, converted garages or rear units from decades ago.

Some were permitted, and some were not. A buyer’s permit search will compare the house on the ground with the city’s records, so it helps to know the difference before you list.

How LADBS permits work

Homes in this neighborhood are inside the City of Los Angeles, so building permits come from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS), not a county office. LADBS splits permits into two tracks. Express Permit-eligible projects need no plan review and can be handled through PermitLA.

Every other permit, including projects that need plan check, goes through ePlanLA. Both systems require an Angeleno account. LADBS offers standard, virtual, and off-hour or additional-hour inspection requests, and each stage of construction must be inspected and approved before the work is covered.

The LADBS pages I reviewed did not state a permit expiration period, so ask LADBS for the status of any permit older than a year.

Garage conversions and rear units

Because the ADU ordinance applies citywide, a Cheviot Hills owner with a converted garage or back unit starts with the same questions as anyone in Los Angeles: was it permitted, is it inside the size limits for its unit type, and does it meet the height and setback standards?

City Planning’s ZA Memo 143 explains that structure by structure. If the answers are unclear, an as-is sale lets a buyer take on the legalization instead of you.

ADU rules the City of Los Angeles publishes

City Planning’s ADU question-and-answer memo (ZA Memo 143) and ordinance PDF show that the standards depend on the type of unit.

The memo’s tables list a 1,200 square foot limit in one detached category and 800 square feet in another, with height limits of 16 feet, 18 feet near transit, or up to 20 feet when the roof pitch matches the main house, depending on the category.

The memo also has a question on how the city applies ADU requirements in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones and Hillside Areas under LAMC 12.22 A.33. Because the category decides the number, confirm your unit type with LA City Planning before you rely on any figure.

Code enforcement and notices

LADBS says it responds to complaints about possible code violations. For properties with two or more dwelling units, LADBS points complaints to the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) at (866) 557-7368, and LAHD issues a Notice and Order to Comply for general maintenance violations.

A single-family owner is more likely to hear from LADBS, but a duplex, a house with a back unit or a converted garage rented out can pull LAHD in. Keep every notice, and ask both agencies for the case status before you list.

Historic overlays, HOAs and deed rules

City Planning keeps a list of adopted Historic Preservation Overlay Zones. In the list excerpt I reviewed, Cheviot Hills did not appear, but I am not treating that as a parcel-level answer. Check the address in ZIMAS before you commit to exterior work.

Separately, a homeowners association or tract deed restriction can limit changes regardless of city rules, so ask for any association documents you hold. I found no official source stating a hillside or fire-zone designation for Cheviot Hills, and I am not asserting one.

State ADU law and Cheviot Hills

California’s ADU statute, Government Code section 66314 and following, sets a floor that every city must follow, and local ordinances fill in the details.

The state requires ministerial review within 60 days of a complete application, bars a city from requiring more than a limited set of standards, and generally allows an ADU or conversion inside existing space without added setbacks.

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) publishes a handbook and keeps a list of the state requirements. Because state law changes often, treat the city’s current ordinance and handout as the final word on size, height, parking and fees for your lot.

ADUs, garage conversions and selling a Cheviot Hills house

Many older homes have a converted garage or a backyard unit built without permits. Buyers and lenders ask about them, and California sellers generally disclose known unpermitted work. Our guide to selling as-is with unpermitted work explains the rules, and our Prop 13 guide explains how new construction can affect property tax. Before you list:

• Check city records for permits on any ADU, conversion or addition.
• Ask Planning whether the structure could qualify under current rules.
• Estimate plans, fees and corrections needed to legalize it.
• Compare that with selling as-is and letting a cash buyer take on the legalization.

Questions to ask Planning before you design

• Does my lot and zone allow an ADU, a junior ADU, or both?
• Is a pre-approved or pre-reviewed ADU plan available?
• What are the current impact, utility and school fees for the size I am considering?
• Can my existing garage or accessory structure be converted without changing its footprint?
• Are there fire, slope, easement or utility constraints on my lot?

Junior ADUs and garage conversions in more detail

State law treats a junior ADU as a unit of up to 500 square feet created inside the walls of an existing or proposed single-family home, with an efficiency kitchen and a recorded restriction that keeps it from being sold apart from the house.

A garage conversion is a different path: the unit replaces the garage, and state law generally does not require the city to demand replacement parking. Both are common sources of unpermitted space in older Cheviot Hills neighborhoods, which is why buyers’ agents and appraisers ask for the permit record.

If a conversion was done without a permit, the usual fix is to submit as-built drawings, pay the fees and pass inspection, which can take months and cost real money.

Fees, utilities and property tax

State law limits the impact fees a city can charge on smaller ADUs and on conversions of existing space, and it limits when a separate utility connection can be required.

Larger new units can still carry impact fees, school fees and water or sewer connection charges, so ask for an itemized estimate before you commit to plans. New construction is generally reassessed for property tax under Prop 13, which means an ADU can raise the bill for the whole property. Our Prop 13 guide explains how reassessment works.

Why ADUs matter for resale

A permitted ADU can add rental income and appeal for some buyers, but an unpermitted one can complicate financing and appraisal. Lenders typically want permitted living area, and an appraiser may not count unpermitted space.

Because an ADU generally cannot be sold separately from the main home, its value comes through the sale of the whole property.

If you inherited a house with an old backyard unit, or bought one with a converted garage, check what the city has on file before you decide how to sell. Our probate home sale guide covers inherited property.

How to sell a house in Cheviot Hills

1. Request a cash offer by phone, text or the form on this page; we ask about the address, condition and your timeline.
2. We review the property and any permit or violation issues you tell us about, then make a written cash offer with no repair demands.
3. If you accept, we open escrow, order title and confirm payoff amounts, liens and any association or tax balances.
4. You choose the closing date and can stay or move on a schedule that fits.
5. You sign at escrow and receive your proceeds with no commissions or listing fees.

See also our Cheviot Hills page, the Century City page and the Los Angeles County hub.

Frequently asked questions

Who issues building permits in Cheviot Hills?

LADBS. Cheviot Hills is in the City of Los Angeles, so permits go through PermitLA or ePlanLA with an Angeleno account.

Is Cheviot Hills a historic preservation overlay zone?

It did not appear in the City Planning HPOZ list excerpt I reviewed. Confirm for your own parcel through ZIMAS or City Planning.

What ADU size limits apply in Cheviot Hills?

The citywide ordinance applies. ZA Memo 143 lists limits that vary by unit type, including 800 square feet and 1,200 square feet categories, so confirm your category.

Who handles code complaints?

LADBS handles possible building code violations. LAHD handles properties with two or more dwelling units at (866) 557-7368.

Can I sell a Cheviot Hills house with an unpermitted garage conversion?

Yes. You can disclose it and sell as-is, including to a cash buyer.

Does an HOA affect a sale?

It can. Association or deed rules may limit alterations, so gather any documents you have.

More guides

• We Buy Houses in Cheviot Hills
• We Buy Houses in Los Angeles County
• Los Angeles County Property Tax Guide
• Los Angeles Building Permits Guide
• Los Angeles Code Enforcement Guide
• Los Angeles Zoning and ADU Guide
• All California Guides

Sources

• LADBS: Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety
• LADBS: Code Enforcement, Complaints and Compliance
• LAHD: Understanding and Complying with Orders
• LA City Planning: ZA Memo 143 (ADU questions and answers)
• LA City Planning: Local Historic Districts (HPOZs)

This guide is general information from public sources, not legal advice. Confirm current rules, fees and hours with the city.