Property research guides

Understand the record before you rely on it.

Practical, source-linked explanations for common public-property research tasks. These guides are educational—not title, legal, appraisal, surveying, permitting, or tax advice.

Guide 01

How to find a Los Angeles County AIN

What the 10-digit Assessor Identification Number does, where to locate it, and how to use it safely.

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Guide 02

How to look up LA zoning

Use a parcel address as a starting point, then verify zoning, overlays, and permits with the right agency.

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Guide 03

How to read an assessor record

Learn the difference between assessed value, parcel facts, building facts, ownership fields, and tax amounts.

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Guide 04

Why a building address may resolve to another parcel address

How suite, tenant, mailing, and street addresses relate to the assessor’s primary parcel situs.

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Guide 05

How to use permits in property research

What a building permit can tell you, what it cannot, and how to verify it with the responsible agency.

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Source directory

Public property-data sources by city

Direct links to the agencies and public portals behind the property research process.

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