The house, which was listed for sale by the owners who originally made plans for its demolition, was purchased by a member of the Disney family in March 2017. The new owner has retained a preservation consulting firm and in 2019 work began to renovate interior rooms that have been altered through the years to be more period-appropriate. The front rooms, with original details including beamed ceiling, massive stone fireplace, and built-in breakfront, are highly intact.

On November 23, 2016, the Los Angeles City Council voted in support of a nomination initiated by the Department of City Planning to list the Charlotte and Robert Disney House as a Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM). To learn more, read the final staff report and recommendation. Thank you to Councilmember David Ryu's office for supporting the nomination! As a designated HCM, it now benefits from stricter protection from demolition and/or inappropriate alteration. 

This 1914 Craftsman house in Los Feliz, located at 4406 Kingswell Avenue, is notable for its early association with Walt Disney. The one-story bungalow was owned by Disney’s uncle, and when Walt relocated to Los Angeles in 1923 he lived at this residence, beginning his animation work in the garage. 

In 2016, a notice of a demolition permit requested by the current owners triggered public outcry and prompted the office of Councilmember David Ryu, in whose district the house is located, to coordinate with the Office of Historic Resources and City Planning Department on the city-initiated designation process.

Although the house was identified as National Register-eligible through SurveyLA, no environmental review is required for the replacement project of another single-family home on the same site, making HCM designation the only way to protect the house.