Preservation Incentives
Historic preservation is not just about regulations that prevent inappropriate changes to historic resources. Successful preservation programs also make incentives available for owners of historic properties. Read about some of the City’s current preservation incentives below.
Mills Act Program
The Mills Act Historical Property Contract Program is the City’s most significant financial incentive for historic preservation. It allows owners of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments (HCMs) and contributing properties within one of the City’s Historic Preservation Overlay Zones (HPOZs) to receive a potential property tax reduction to help offset the costs of substantial rehabilitation and restoration of their buildings.
There are property assessed valuation thresholds in place for new applications: $1.5 million for single-family residences or $3 million for multi-family residential, commercial, or industrial properties. Any properties exceeding these valuation limits require an application for an exemption and the preparation of an Historic Structure Report..
2021 Mills Act Program
Information on the City of Los Angeles’s 2021 Mills Act Historical Property Contract application cycle will be available soon. To receive updates, sign up to subscribe to City Planning e-mails and click “Mills Act Program” under Current Planning Initiatives.
In the meantime, additional information about the program is available below and in the list of Frequently Asked Questions.
| Fees | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Application | $650 | ||
| Appeal of Staff Determination of Ineligibility | $1,532 | ||
| Valuation Exemption | $2,266 | ||
| Contract Execution | $2,796 |
Additional Information
- Presentation from the 2020 Mills Act Workshop
- Tax Adjustment Worksheet
- Sample Historical Property Contract
- The Adaptive Reuse Ordinance Boundary Maps outline areas that are exempt from the property assessed valuation thresholds
- State Board of Equalization Guidelines for the Assessment of Enforceably Restricted Historical Property
- Municipal and State Codes Regarding Historical Property Contracts
- Sample Historical Property Contract
Email Los Angeles City Planning’s Office of Historic Resources with Mills Act questions at planning.millsact@lacity.org.
