When California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency last Tuesday in response to the Los Angeles wildfires, it triggered a key protection for tens of thousands of evacuated Angelenos who suddenly need a new place to live — either because their homes have burned down or because their neighborhoods could be off-limits for months to come.
“Following a declaration of emergency,” the California attorney general’s office explained online, “the statute generally prohibits landlords from increasing the price of rental housing by more than 10% of the previously charged or advertised price.”
“It’s called price gouging,” Attorney General Rob Bonta added during a press conference. “It is illegal. You cannot do it. It is a crime punishable by up to a year in jail and fines.”
And yet L.A. landlords for at least 400 rental properties seem to have ignored Bonta’s warning as they seek to maximize profits in the midst of an ongoing disaster.
That number comes from a crowdsourced spreadsheet launched by housing advocate Chelsea Kirk of the Los Angeles Tenants Union — complete with addresses, Zillow links, dates of rent increases and exact pre- and post-hike prices.
Stories of price gouging have been circulating on social media and in news reports for days. But Kirk’s spreadsheet, which anyone can contribute to, is the most comprehensive source yet.
One of the more extreme examples is a 9,615-square-foot Tudor mansion in Bel Air that was listed for $29,500 a month in December — before reappearing last week for $39,000 a month. But more modest properties aren’t exempt. A 1,200-square-foot two-bedroom in Woodland Hills was listed for $3,900 in November; it’s $5,900 now.
Some of the properties cited in Kirk’s spreadsheet are no longer on the market; others have seen their prices lowered, presumably to comply with the law. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced Sunday that the city had launched “a new, simple intake system” to report price gouging.
“Call @MyLA311 to report illegally hiked rents and prices,” Bass posted on X. “We have no tolerance for it.”
But elsewhere, the gouging continues. On Monday, a “newly remodeled luxury home” appeared on Redfin for $25,000 a month. The price when it was last listed in December? $19,000 a month.
"People are desperate," one agent told LAist when asked why she instructed her clients to relist their home last week for nearly twice its previous price. "You can probably get good money."
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