Property owners in Los Angeles have raised rents after the wildfires this month – in some cases more than doubling them – in violation of California law, which prohibits increases greater than 10% after a state of emergency has been declared.
The situation in Los Angeles is alarming, with thousands of people seeking shelter as about 12,000 structures have been destroyed, from Malibu to Pacific Palisades and Altadena.
Samira Tapia, a real estate agent, revealed to the New York Times that, in her analysis of over 400 listings, about 100 properties in Los Angeles have rent increases above the legal limit. For example, a property in North Hollywood saw the rent go from $800 to $5,700 per month.
In Santa Monica, a five-bedroom house was listed for $28,000, a 124% increase from the $12,500 charged in February 2024, according to journalist Lisa Guerrero from Inside Edition.
Laura Kate Jones, another agent, reported that properties in West Los Angeles saw rent increases between 15% and 20% overnight. During a visit, an owner paid $3,000 rent. “People are so desperate for a house that they accept any price. It’s shocking,” Jones said to the Times.
Chelsea Kirk, from the organization Strategic Actions for a Just Economy, created a collaborative spreadsheet documenting prices before and after the increases and links to the listings.
Smaller homes also saw significant increases. A two-bedroom home in Woodland Hills went from $3,900 to $5,900, according to Yahoo News.
Despite the state of emergency declared by Governor Gavin Newsom and laws against price gouging, the increases continue. Jason Oppenheim, from the series Selling Sunset, publicly condemned the practice as “illegal and immoral.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta promised to investigate the cases and impose strict measures, including fines of up to $10,000 and imprisonment.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass launched a simplified system to report illegal rent increases. “Report abuses by calling @MyLA311. We will not tolerate this,” Bass said on her social media.
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Source: Ny Post. This content was created with AI assistance and reviewed by the editorial team.
