Phone Numbers, Contacts & Homeowner Basics
The official contacts Silver Lake residents actually use, from the right police station to the library branch on Glendale Boulevard, plus the City of Los Angeles rules every homeowner should know.
Silver Lake is part of the City of Los Angeles. Call 911 for emergencies and 1-877-ASK-LAPD (1-877-275-5273) for non-emergency police calls. Potholes, graffiti, bulky-item pickups and street trees go through MyLA311: dial 311, or (213) 473-3231 from outside the city. Silver Lake is split between City Council Districts 4 and 13 and between two LAPD divisions, so look up your own address at neighborhoodinfo.lacity.gov. For a power outage call LADWP at 1-800-DIAL-DWP (1-800-342-5397); if you smell gas, leave, then call 911 or SoCalGas at 1-800-427-2200.
Silver Lake Contacts
Save this page. These are the City of Los Angeles numbers and official links you reach for when something happens, from a downed line on a hillside street to a missed trash pickup. Silver Lake has no city government of its own; services come from the City of Los Angeles and, for property records, the County.
Emergencies & Police
Silver Lake is covered by two LAPD divisions, Rampart and Northeast. The line between them depends on your street, so check your address before you call a station directly.
Los Angeles Fire Department
The neighborhood’s own firehouse, Station 56, has served Rowena Avenue since 1924; it moved to its current building in 1989. Your first-due station depends on your address.
City Service Requests: MyLA311
The City of Los Angeles’ front door for non-emergency problems: potholes, graffiti, streetlights, illegal dumping, bulky-item pickup, street trees and more.
City Council & the Neighborhood Council
Silver Lake is divided between City Council District 4 and City Council District 13. District lines follow streets, not the neighborhood’s name, so look up your address rather than guessing.
LADWP & SoCalGas: Power, Water & Gas
Parks & the Library
Run by City of Los Angeles Recreation and Parks and the Los Angeles Public Library. Hours change seasonally, so check the official pages.
Animals, Building & Housing
County Records: Assessor, Recorder & Property Tax
Property assessments, recorded deeds and property tax bills are handled by the County of Los Angeles, not the city.
No city hall of its own. Silver Lake’s services come from the City of Los Angeles.
Things Every Silver Lake Homeowner Should Know
The City of Los Angeles rules that catch new owners off guard. None of them are complicated once you know they exist, and each has an official page worth bookmarking.
Brush Clearance Is the Owner’s Job
Silver Lake is a neighborhood of hills, and a hillside parcel may sit in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Check yours in ZIMAS. If it does, the Los Angeles Fire Department requires year-round brush clearance, and it inspects each spring.
- 200 feet from structures. Grass cut and native brush reduced to three inches, whether the structure is yours or a neighbor’s.
- 10 feet from roads, driveways and combustible fences. The same three-inch rule.
- Trees and roofs. Keep foliage 10 feet from chimney outlets and 5 feet above the roof.
- Red flag days. No brush clearance work when fire weather is at its peak.
The full list is on the LAFD’s Brush Clearance Requirements page. If you are buying on a hillside street, ask early whether the parcel is in the zone.
Three Bins, One Day, Free Bulky Pickup
City-serviced homes put out black, blue and green bins for LA Sanitation. Your collection day depends on your address; look it up at neighborhoodinfo.lacity.gov. Old furniture, carpet and other large items go out free through bulky-item pickup, booked online, through MyLA311, or at 1-800-773-2489 at least a day before your trash day.
The Tree at the Curb Is a City Tree
Trees in the public right-of-way are street trees, under StreetsLA’s Urban Forestry Division. Trimming, root-pruning or removing one requires a permit first; planting, trimming and root-pruning permits carry no fee. Request service or ask questions through MyLA311. Details are on the StreetsLA site.
Remodels Usually Need a Permit
The Department of Building and Safety issues building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and grading permits for all construction in the City of Los Angeles, from additions and ADUs to foundation work. Start with your parcel in ZIMAS to see its zoning and overlays, then go to dbs.lacity.gov. Hillside lots often carry extra grading and access rules.
Before you close, compare the house in front of you with the permit history on file. Unpermitted additions and garage conversions are easier to discuss during escrow than after.
Check for Landmark Status Before You Draw Plans
Silver Lake holds many City Historic-Cultural Monuments, among them Rudolph Schindler’s How House, Richard Neutra’s office on Glendale Boulevard and the reservoir complex itself. A designated property comes with review by the city’s Office of Historic Resources before significant changes. ZIMAS shows whether a parcel is a monument or sits in a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone. For the architects and houses behind the neighborhood’s reputation, see Places and Field Notes.
Renting Out Your Home Takes Registration
The City of Los Angeles allows short-term rentals only as home-sharing in a host’s primary residence, and the host must register with City Planning and post the registration number on every listing.
- Standard home-sharing. Up to 120 days per calendar year.
- Extended home-sharing. More than 120 days, with a separate approval.
If you are buying with rental income in mind, read City Planning’s home-sharing FAQ first. Many older apartment buildings are also covered by the city’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance; confirm with LAHD at (866) 557-7368.
Brush, bins, street trees, permits. Small rules, easier to follow once you know them.
A Public Directory for Silver Lake
Just Silver Lake keeps this directory as a public resource for anyone who owns, rents or is thinking about buying in Silver Lake. Every number links to, or comes from, the official agency that runs the service. If something changes, the agency’s own site is the final word.
Buying or selling in Silver Lake? Read the Silver Lake real estate guide, see the calendar, or get in touch. Next door: Just Echo Park and Los Feliz Living.
Debbie Pisaro is a 24-year California real estate agent, an Inman Luxury Leader, and the founder of Coastline 840. Her office is on Glendale Boulevard in Echo Park, minutes from the Silver Lake Reservoir, and her architectural homes practice is at debbiepisaro.com. Many of the homes she sells never reach the open market.
(310) 362-6429 · debbie@coastline840.com
160 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Coastline 840 is a brand of Side, Inc., CA DRE #02014153, responsible broker