Decision guide
Westwood vs. Century City: Should You Rent or Buy a Condo?
By Nick McCandless · Updated · Editorial policy
The short answer
Whether renting or buying wins in Westwood or Century City comes down to how long you will stay, the specific building's costs and current rates. The live table below shows the median asking price and median asking rent for condos active on this site in each neighborhood, with their as-of date. Asking figures are not closed sales, and a median is withheld when the sample is too small. Put the numbers for the actual units you are weighing, plus your own mortgage quote, into the rent vs. buy calculator to find a break-even year.
Westwood vs. Century City: live asking figures
| Active condo listings on this site | Westwood | Century City |
|---|---|---|
| Active condo listings for sale | 114 | 49 |
| Median asking price | $1,062,000 | $2,195,000 |
| Median asking price per sq ft | $735 | $1,149 |
| Active condo listings for rent | 97 | 22 |
| Median asking rent | $5,275/mo | $12,750/mo |
Data as of October 8, 2026. Asking prices and rents for condo listings active on this site, not closed sales. A median is withheld when fewer than the report's minimum number of listings carry the value. Full detail: Westwood report · Century City report.
Westwood vs. Century City: our building profiles
| Directory measure | Westwood | Century City |
|---|---|---|
| Buildings we profile | 31 | 12 |
| Existing or completed | 31 | 12 |
| Under construction or planned | 0 | 0 |
| Completion years (existing buildings) | 1981–2006 (recorded for 6 of 31) | 1958–2022 (recorded for 3 of 12) |
| Median completion year | 1989 | 2022 |
| Median recorded height | 23 stories (recorded for 6 of 31) | Withheld (fewer than 3 recorded) |
| Tallest recorded | 29 stories | 42 stories |
| Profiles with published floor plans | 0 | 0 |
Computed from the building profiles in our directory when this page was generated. It is not a census of every building, and a missing value means our profile does not record it. Browse the profiles on the Westwood and Century City pages.
Renting vs. Buying at a glance
| Factor | Renting | Buying |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cash | Security deposit and move-in costs under your lease. | Down payment and closing costs, including transfer taxes (see the closing cost calculator). |
| Borrowing cost | None. | The 30-year fixed rate averaged 7.40% nationally as of October 8, 2026; your quote will differ[1]. |
| Rent or cost increases | Set by your lease and the law that applies. In a building first built on or before October 1, 1978, the City's RSO can apply to a condo, but the rent amount is not regulated for condo tenancies that began after December 31, 1995[2]. | Principal and interest fixed on a fixed-rate loan; taxable value can rise at most 2% a year after the base year[3]; assessments and insurance can change. |
| Building repairs | Paid by the owner. | Your share of assessments; special assessments above 5% of budgeted expenses need a member vote except in emergencies[4][5]. |
| Flexibility to leave | High at lease end. | Lower: selling takes time and costs money. |
| Rental rules if you later move out | Not applicable. | Governed by the association's documents; the seller must disclose any rental prohibition[6]. |
Start with how long you will stay
Buying carries one-time costs at both ends — closing costs and transfer taxes when you buy, selling costs when you leave — spread across the years you own. Renting avoids them and builds no equity. The shorter your stay, the harder it is for buying to come out ahead. The rent vs. buy calculator can prefill a neighborhood's current median asking price and rent where both meet our minimum sample. Its appreciation and rent-growth assumptions start at 0% because we do not forecast either. Itemize the purchase-side taxes with the closing cost calculator.
Rates matter as much as prices. Freddie Mac's weekly survey put the national 30-year fixed average at 7.40% as of October 8, 2026[1]. Use your own lender's quote and test a range.
Westwood or Century City: reading the live figures
The live table compares the two neighborhoods using the same active inventory as our Westwood and Century City market reports. The medians describe whichever units happen to be listed, so a neighborhood with more large or luxury units will show a higher median even if comparable units cost the same. Compare like with like: same bedroom count, similar buildings, similar amenities. The full reports break the inventory down by bedrooms and price band.
The building table below it comes from our directory profiles: how many buildings we profile in each neighborhood, their recorded completion years and heights. Building age matters to both renters and buyers. In the City of Los Angeles, the RSO generally reaches rental properties first built on or before October 1, 1978. For condos, LAHD says the rent amount is not regulated for tenancies that began after December 31, 1995, while the RSO's other rules, such as eviction and relocation provisions, can still apply[2]. For buyers, older buildings tend to have more reserve-study and balcony-inspection history to read[7][8].
Transit is changing along Wilshire. Metro's D Line extension opened its first section to Wilshire/La Cienega on May 8, 2026. The Century City section and the Westwood section, with stations at UCLA and the VA Hospital, are still under construction, and Metro's project page gives no opening date for them[9]. Do not price an unbuilt station into your decision as if it were open.
What renting and buying each require here
Renting a condo usually means renting from an individual owner, under the association's rules on leasing, move-ins and amenities. Ask for those rules before signing. Our posts on renting out an LA condo and HOA rental restrictions explain the owner's side, which shapes what a landlord can offer you.
Buying adds the resale package — governing documents, budget report, assessment statement, rental limits and the balcony inspection report[6] — and the lender's review of the project. Read them with our special assessment guide. For the neighborhoods themselves, see our Westwood vs. Century City comparison, the Westwood guide and the Century City towers guide.
When renting is the better choice
- You expect to stay only a few years, so closing costs, transfer taxes and selling costs would weigh heavily on owning.
- The calculator shows a break-even year beyond your likely stay at today's prices, rents and your rate quote.
- You want to try Westwood or Century City, or a particular building, before committing to an association.
- Buying would leave you without an adequate cash cushion for assessments and repairs.
When buying is the better choice
- Your expected stay comfortably exceeds the calculator's break-even year using the live medians or, better, figures for the specific units.
- You have read the building's budget report, reserve study and balcony report and are comfortable with its assessment outlook.
- You value the stability of a fixed-rate payment and a taxable value that can rise at most 2% a year after the base year.
- You want to control your home's interior and are comfortable with the association's rules.
Next steps
Open the full Westwood and Century City reports for bedroom-level detail, browse the Westwood and Century City neighborhood pages, and compare specific towers with the building comparison tool. If you would like an introduction to a licensed partner agent, use our contact page.
Common questions
Is it cheaper to rent or buy a condo in Westwood or Century City?
It depends on how long you stay, the specific units and your mortgage rate. This guide shows the current median asking price and rent for active condo listings in each neighborhood with their as-of date; enter figures for the units you are comparing, and your own rate quote, in our rent vs. buy calculator to see a break-even year.
Are condo rents in Westwood and Century City rent-controlled?
The City of Los Angeles RSO generally applies to rental properties first built on or before October 1, 1978, including condos, but LAHD says the rent amount for a condo is not regulated for tenancies that began after December 31, 1995. Other RSO rules can still apply. Check the building's construction date and ask LAHD about the specific unit.
Is the Metro D Line open in Westwood or Century City?
Not yet. Metro opened the first section of the D Line extension to Wilshire/La Cienega on May 8, 2026. The Century City and Westwood sections were still under construction when we checked, and Metro's project page did not give an opening date.
Where do the median asking prices and rents come from?
From condo listings active on this site in each neighborhood, the same data as our market reports, with the as-of date shown. They are asking figures, not closed sales, and a median is withheld when too few listings carry the value.
Sources
- [1] Freddie Mac, Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS). Weekly U.S. average rates: the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 7.40% and the 15-year 6.73% as of October 8, 2026. National averages, not a quote for any borrower. Checked .
- [2] Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD), RSO Overview — What falls under the Rent Stabilization Ordinance. The City of Los Angeles RSO generally applies to rental properties first built on or before October 1, 1978, including condominiums, but for a condominium the rent amount is not regulated for tenancies that began after December 31, 1995; the RSO also covers registration, eviction reasons and relocation assistance. The page also references the City's mandatory soft-story seismic retrofit ordinance. Checked .
- [3] California Legislative Information, California Revenue and Taxation Code § 51 — Taxable value after the base year. After the base year, a property's taxable value is the lesser of its base-year value adjusted by an inflation factor that may not exceed 2 percent a year, or its current full cash value. Checked .
- [4] California Legislative Information, California Civil Code § 5605 — Limits on assessment increases. Without approval of a majority of a quorum of members (quorum meaning more than 50 percent of members), the board may not raise regular assessments more than 20 percent over the prior fiscal year or impose special assessments that in aggregate exceed 5 percent of the year's budgeted gross expenses. Checked .
- [5] California Legislative Information, California Civil Code § 5610 — Emergency assessments. The limits in § 5605 do not apply to extraordinary expenses required by a court order, needed to address a discovered threat to health or safety, or needed for repairs that could not reasonably have been foreseen in the budget (the last requiring a board resolution with written findings). Checked .
- [6] California Legislative Information, California Civil Code § 4525 — Documents for a prospective purchaser. A selling owner must provide the governing documents, the most recent annual budget report and reserve disclosures, a statement of current regular and special assessments and unpaid amounts, approved but not-yet-due assessment changes, any initial list of construction defects, any rental prohibition, 12 months of approved board minutes on request, and the most recent exterior elevated element (balcony) inspection report. Checked .
- [7] California Legislative Information, California Civil Code § 5550 — Reserve study. At least once every three years the board must have a visual inspection of major components done as part of a reserve study, review it annually, and include components with under 30 years of remaining life, their cost, the annual contribution needed and a funding plan. Checked .
- [8] California Legislative Information, California Civil Code § 5551 — Inspection of exterior elevated elements. In condominium buildings with three or more attached units, a licensed structural or civil engineer or architect must inspect a statistically significant sample of wood-supported balconies, decks, stairways and walkways more than six feet above ground at least every nine years; the first inspection was due by January 1, 2025 (within six years of the certificate of occupancy for buildings permitted on or after January 1, 2020); an element posing an immediate threat must be reported to local code enforcement within 15 days and closed to occupants until repaired. Amended by SB 410, effective January 1, 2026. Checked .
- [9] Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), D Line Subway Extension. Section 1 (Wilshire/La Brea, Fairfax and La Cienega) opened May 8, 2026; Section 2 through Beverly Hills and Century City and Section 3 to Westwood (UCLA and VA Hospital stations) remain under construction. The page gives no opening date for Sections 2 and 3. Checked .
Data definitions are explained in our methodology, and how we source and correct articles in our editorial policy. This guide is general information, not legal, tax, insurance or financial advice. LA Condo HQ is published by Eltherion, LLC, which is not a licensed brokerage; we can introduce you to a licensed partner agent through our contact page.