Abandoned hillside home worries Studio City neighbors

LOS ANGELES - An abandoned and unfinished house overlooking the San Fernando Valley is becoming the latest "problem property" to draw scrutiny from local officials, leaving Studio City neighbors on edge over safety and fire concerns.

What we know:

Situated directly below the popular Universal City Overlook, the hillside structure is meant to be blocked off by two chains and locks guarding a narrow trail. However, residents say trespassers easily bypass the perimeter through a chain-link fence.

"It’s just right under the Universal Overlook, and people come at night, use it to party," said Ted, a local resident who lives near the property. "There’s graffiti all over it, beer cans, and everything."

Concerned about safety, Ted took matters into his own hands on the Fourth of July by locking the gate on Mulholland Drive himself.

"Which is totally illegal—you can’t lock up someone else’s house—but I figured I was protecting their property anyway from fires and 50 people up there," Ted admitted.

Down the hill, neighbor Chris shares those concerns, noting that the combination of dry vegetation and unsupervised activity in the hills poses a severe threat to the surrounding community.

"We're in the hills, there's a lot of dry vegetation," Chris said, warning that a single spark could "blow up the whole neighborhood."

Dig deeper:

Wildfire risks at abandoned homes have drawn heightened attention recently. A fire at another abandoned property nearby on Babcock Avenue in Studio City last week brought out media, Mayor Karen Bass, and City Councilmember Nithya Raman. Following the mayor's visit to the Babcock site, the city moved to trim trees and erect permanent fencing.

Now, the city is turning its attention to the Mulholland site. The Mayor’s Office issued an order giving the property owner until Monday to "remove all waste, rubbish, debris, flammable, combustible, or hazardous materials from the interior of the structure(s), and all waste, rubbish, debris, excessive vegetation, inoperable vehicles, trailers, appliances, and other similar materials from the property."

Aerial views from SkyFOX show significant debris littered below the home, appearing as though trespassers or squatters broke out windows and discarded damaged items onto the hillside below.

Ted claims he reached out to his local representative long before the order was issued, saying he reported the property to Councilmember Raman’s office but never received a response, prompting him to call the city directly a month later.

What they're saying:

In response, Councilmember Nithya Raman’s office issued the following statement regarding the property: "Our office has engaged with LADBS on this case, and we are pressing them to ensure the abatement order that was issued in August is enforced. This property is a stark example of exactly the kind of bureaucratic failure our office has been sounding the alarm about."

Meanwhile, Mayor Bass' office sent a statement saying, "The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety issued an order to abate the vacant structure on August 28, 2026. The property owner must clean and secure the site within 10 days (September 7, 2026), meaning "remove all waste, rubbish, debris, flammable, combustible, or hazardous materials from the interior of the structure(s), and all waste, rubbish, debris, excessive vegetation, inoperable vehicles, trailers, appliances, and other similar materials from the property." At the direction of the Mayor’s Office, on September 1, LADBS inspectors went out to the site and secured the fence with a chain and lock. Work orders have been placed to secure a contractor to come and clean up the site should the property owner fail to meet their September 7 obligation. The Mayor’s Office has been onsite.

"This week, Mayor Bass sent a letter to all members of the L.A. City Council to allocate $2 million in funding to clean and secure priority properties across Los Angeles. Mayor Bass allocated $2 million in her proposed FY26-27 budget to address vacant and nuisance lots. During the budget considerations, the City Council removed this funding."

What's next:

With the city's deadline landing on Monday, neighbors remain hopeful that direct enforcement will finally secure the property and eliminate the fire hazard.

Studio City