About Ritz Properties · Los Angeles
Ritz Properties, Inc. is a Los Angeles–based full-service property management, leasing, and sales firm that has operated continuously since 1974. Founded and originally led by Richard Howard Ritz, the company manages a portfolio of multifamily apartments, condominiums, single-family rentals, and commercial/retail/mixed-use properties across the Greater Los Angeles area. Under current President & CEO Ben Foster — a licensed California real estate broker who also serves on the board of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles (AAGLA) — Ritz Properties promotes its work around the tagline 'Integrity | Experience | Value' and emphasizes local, relationship-driven service over the scale of national firms.
Ritz Properties, Inc. is one of the longer-tenured independent property management firms in Los Angeles. The company was established in 1974 and remains tied to its founding family; California Department of Real Estate records show founder Richard Howard Ritz as a licensed broker (license #00450313, originally issued 1976 and currently active through May 2028) and Ritz Properties Inc. itself as a licensed Real Estate Corporation (DRE #00792955, originally issued August 31, 1980, active through August 30, 2028). The firm also holds a California General Building contractor license (#748712). Headquartered at 1905 N. Wilcox Avenue in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles (with additional offices historically at 3660 Wilshire Blvd. and 4926 August St.), Ritz Properties manages residential and commercial real estate investments throughout Southern California, including multifamily apartment buildings, condominiums, single-family investment homes, office, retail, and mixed-use assets. Its service model is built around on-call availability '24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year' and month-to-month management agreements intended to earn client loyalty continuously rather than lock owners into long-term contracts. President & CEO Ben Foster is a licensed California broker with more than 20 years in investment strategy, asset management, and operations; he also sits on the board of AAGLA, where he advocates for independent rental-housing providers and balanced housing policy in Southern California. The company has appeared in Los Angeles Business Journal coverage of high-profile deals such as the sale of the historic 1929 Chateau Laurier apartment building in the Hancock Park area, where Richard Ritz represented the seller. Public tenant feedback is mixed, with a Yelp rating around 2.0 stars across roughly three dozen reviews and varied experiences across individual managed buildings (some sub-3-star averages on Google/Birdeye for specific properties like 'West Hollywood Ritz' and 'The Ritz on Berendo').
- In business
- Since 1974 (50+ years as of 2025)
- Owner
- Founded by Richard Howard 'Richard' Ritz (President, licensed California real estate broker, license #00450313, broker since 1976); current President & CEO is Ben Foster (licensed California real estate broker, 20+ years in the industry).
- Serves
- Greater Los Angeles and surrounding Southern California cities — including Hollywood, Hancock Park, West Hollywood, Koreatown/Downtown LA, Burbank, and adjacent neighborhoods. The firm has also been associated with addresses in Burbank (210 N Pass Ave #200) and other Los Angeles County locations.
- Rating
- Approximately 2.0 stars on Yelp based on ~37 reviews (per MapQuest summary). Individual managed buildings carry separate ratings on Google/Birdeye, e.g., 'West Hollywood Ritz' ~2.7 (7 Google reviews) and 'The Ritz on Berendo' ~1.8 (4 reviews). No consolidated Google Business rating was located.
About Ritz Properties
Ritz Properties, Inc. describes itself as a trusted leader in Los Angeles property management for over 50 years, specializing in residential and commercial real estate investments throughout Southern California. The firm helps property owners protect and grow the long-term value of their assets through professional, hands-on management. Its homepage tagline is 'INTEGRITY | EXPERIENCE | VALUE,' and its stated mission is to maximize the value of clients' real estate investments through proactive management, personalized attention, and unwavering integrity. Unlike large, nationwide firms, Ritz Properties is intentionally local and client-focused. The team takes time to understand each property's unique needs and every owner's investment goals, building long-term relationships based on trust, communication, and performance. The company is led by President & CEO Ben Foster and traces its origin to founder Richard Howard Ritz, who established the firm in 1974.
- Founded in 1974 — 50+ years in business
- Headquartered at 1905 N. Wilcox Ave #960, Los Angeles, CA 90068
- Tagline: 'INTEGRITY | EXPERIENCE | VALUE'
- Mission: maximize client ROI through proactive, transparent management
- Locally owned; intentionally not a national chain
Specialties
Ritz Properties focuses its management practice across three core service lines for owners and investors across Southern California. The firm blends residential and commercial expertise with investment strategy, supporting owners ranging from single-property investors to those with diversified real estate portfolios.
- Residential Property Management – multifamily, condominiums, and single-family investments
- Commercial Property Management – office, retail, and mixed-use assets
- Investment Strategy & Asset Management – helping owners maximize ROI and property performance
Leadership — Ben Foster, President & CEO
Ben Foster is a licensed California real estate broker with over 20 years of experience in investment strategy, asset management, and property operations. As President & CEO he brings both an operator's perspective and an active investor's point of view, having built a portfolio of multifamily properties throughout California. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles (AAGLA), where he advocates for the rental housing industry and balanced housing policy. His stated focus is protecting property-owner interests while promoting a stable, sustainable rental housing market and a fair environment for responsible ownership across Southern California.
- Licensed California real estate broker, 20+ years' experience
- Active investor / owner-operator of multifamily properties in California
- Board of Directors, Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles (AAGLA)
- Advocacy focus: independent housing providers and balanced rental policy
Founder — Richard Howard Ritz
Richard Howard 'Richard' Ritz established Ritz Properties in 1974 and continues to be associated with the firm's operations. He holds California real estate broker license #00450313, originally issued May 10, 1976, and is currently active through May 9, 2028. He also serves as the named corporate officer on the firm's Real Estate Corporation license (#00792955, originally issued August 31, 1980). Public reporting (Los Angeles Business Journal) shows him representing sellers in notable Los Angeles transactions, including the sale of the historic 1929 Chateau Laurier apartment building in the Hancock Park area.
- Founded Ritz Properties in 1974
- California Broker License #00450313 (since 1976)
- Officer of Ritz Properties Inc., DRE Corp. License #00792955
- Represented sellers in historic Hancock Park transactions
Management Services
Ritz Properties markets itself as a full-service property management, leasing, and sales firm. Its team combines decades of property experience with a vetted contractor and vendor network, and operates under the philosophy that it should manage every property 'as if it were our own.' Management agreements are offered on a month-to-month basis so that the firm must continually earn client loyalty. The company advertises availability '24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year' and an online tenant portal for maintenance requests and rent payment. Non-emergency maintenance requests are replied to within 24 hours, excluding weekends and holidays, and after-hours emergency calls are routed through prompts on the main phone line.
- Month-to-month management agreements
- 24/7/365 on-call service
- Online tenant portal for maintenance and payments
- 24-hour response on non-emergency maintenance (excl. weekends/holidays)
- After-hours emergency line via (213) 487-8711 prompts
Contact & Tenant Support
The firm publishes three primary contact channels — general/resident relations, accounts payable, and maintenance/emergency — all routed through the main phone number (213) 487-8711. The contact page also includes explicit guidance on what to do in the event of fire (call fire department first), crime (call police first), and maintenance emergencies (call Ritz Properties).
- General & Resident Relations: info@ritzproperties.com / (213) 487-8711
- Accounts Payable: apay@ritzproperties.com
- Maintenance / Emergencies: (213) 487-8711, then follow prompts for after-hours
- Main office: 1905 N. Wilcox Ave #960, Los Angeles, CA 90068
- CA DRE License #00792955
Licensing & Regulatory Standing
Ritz Properties maintains active real estate and contractor licensing with the State of California. The California Department of Real Estate shows both the named broker (Richard Howard Ritz, license #00450313) and the corporation (Ritz Properties Inc., #00792955) in active status through 2028. The firm also holds a California General Building contractor license (#748712), which BuildZoom verified as active as of December 2024.
- DRE Broker License #00450313 — Richard Howard Ritz — active through 05/09/2028
- DRE Real Estate Corporation #00792955 — Ritz Properties Inc. — active through 08/30/2028
- CSLB General Building Contractor License #748712 — verified active December 2024
Public Profile & Tenant Feedback
Ritz Properties has been covered in regional business and news outlets including the Los Angeles Business Journal (historic property transactions such as the Chateau Laurier sale in Hancock Park) and LAist/PBS SoCal (reporting in 2020 on online rent-payment practices during the COVID-19 pandemic). Public tenant feedback on Yelp aggregates to roughly 2.0 stars across about three dozen reviews, while individual managed buildings — such as 'West Hollywood Ritz' (~2.7 on Google) and 'The Ritz on Berendo' (~1.8 on Google) — carry separate ratings. Reviews reflect a wide range of tenant experiences, from responsiveness and well-managed buildings to complaints about maintenance response, application fees, and security-deposit deductions.
- Yelp: ~2.0 stars across ~37 reviews
- West Hollywood Ritz: ~2.7 stars (7 Google reviews)
- The Ritz on Berendo: ~1.8 stars (4 Google reviews)
- Featured in Los Angeles Business Journal (Chateau Laurier sale)
- Featured in LAist / PBS SoCal coverage of online rent-payment practices