Short answer: Under Los Angeles Municipal Code Division 97 (Ord. 184674 — EBEWE), owners of private commercial and multifamily buildings >=20,000 sq ft owe two intertwined filings to the LA Department of Building and Safety (LADBS): annual June 1 benchmarking of whole-building energy and water usage, plus a repeating 5-year Energy and Water Audit & Retro-Commissioning (A/RCx) cycle assigned by the final digit of the property’s County Assessor ID Number (AIN).
Many portfolio teams mistakenly treat California’s statewide June 1 disclosure law (California AB 802, which starts at >50,000 sq ft and requires benchmarking only) as sufficient in Los Angeles. It is not: LA enforces a 20,000 sq ft threshold, requires water benchmarking, mandates LADBS portal submissions and processing fees, and enforces 5-year technical audits and retro-commissioning on a rolling 10-digit Assessor ID calendar.
- Covered Thresholds: Private commercial & multifamily buildings >=20,000 sq ft; City-owned facilities >=7,500 sq ft.
- June 1 Annual Benchmarking: Whole-building electricity, gas, and LADWP water data uploaded to ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and submitted directly to LADBS EBEWE alongside a city administrative filing.
- Assessor-ID 5-Year A/RCx Rotation: Each property’s County AIN ending digit (0–9) determines its repeating five-year window for ASHRAE Level II energy audits, water audits, and building retro-commissioning.
- Audit Exemptions: Earning ENERGY STAR >=75 (for energy exemption), Water Score / conservation criteria, or verifiable 15% EUI reduction over 5 years waives expensive field audits when filed cleanly inside your cycle window.
Download the Los Angeles EBEWE & Audit Cycle Guide
Synchronizing LADWP Meter Feeds, AIN Digits & California AB 802
Because Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) serves both electricity and municipal water across most of the City (alongside SoCalGas for natural gas), owners should enable automated Portfolio Manager utility web services before April so a single clean June 1 Portfolio Manager sync feeds both LADBS EBEWE and CEC AB 802.
Do not wait until the final year of your 5-year A/RCx window to inspect ENERGY STAR scores: maintaining a score >=75 requires multi-month operational tuning and clean space-use attributes inside Portfolio Manager well ahead of filing exemptions.
- Check Both Energy & Water Triggers: Remember that EBEWE covers water efficiency audits/RCx separately from energy exemptions — verify both tracks prior to submitting to LADBS.
- Verify AIN Digit Calendar: Confirm parcel-level Assessor ID last digits across multi-parcel retail strips or campus assets.
| EBEWE Track | Covered Scope | Schedule / Trigger | Exemptions & Portal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Benchmarking | Private >=20k sf; City >=7.5k sf | Annual June 1 (PM + LADBS fee) | LADWP/SoCalGas auto-sync; feeds AB 802 |
| 5-Yr Energy & Water A/RCx | Private >=20k sf | Repeating 5-yr cycle via AIN digit | ESTAR >=75, LEED, or 15% verified drop |
Compliance Execution Checklist
| Step | Owner / Team | Auditable Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| 1. AIN Digit & Tier Audit | Asset Operations | Pull LA County Assessor ID last digit for every building >=20,000 sq ft. |
| 2. June 1 LADBS + AB 802 | Property Manager | Upload LADWP/SoCalGas electric, gas & water data and pay LADBS registration. |
| 3. A/RCx vs. Exemption | Qualified PE / CEM | Verify ENERGY STAR >=75 exemption or launch Level II A/RCx ahead of cycle end. |
Keep This Los Angeles, CA Compliance Checklist Handy
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Los Angeles EBEWE differ from California AB 802?
California AB 802 mandates annual benchmarking only at >50,000 sq ft, whereas LA EBEWE applies starting at >=20,000 sq ft, requires water benchmarking and LADBS portal registration, and adds repeating 5-year energy/water audits and retro-commissioning.
How do I know when my 5-year LA EBEWE audit/RCx is due?
LADBS schedules five-year Audit & Retro-Commissioning due dates based on the final digit (0–9) of each covered property's Los Angeles County Assessor Identification Number (AIN).
Primary Authorities & Official Resources
- Los Angeles Dept. of Building and Safety (LADBS) — EBEWE Portal
- California AB 802 Statewide Benchmarking Guide
Informational notice: This guide summarizes enacted statutes, regulations, or pending legislative records from the primary authorities linked above as of November 14, 2026. It is not legal, accounting, or licensed engineering advice.