Several organizations demonstrated today to ask for protection against rent increases, as a result of the disasters left by the fires.
However, homeowners are anticipating by increasing rents by thousands of dollars.
The Los Angeles Times published an analysis of rental listings in recent weeks, identifying increases in various areas of the city, especially in areas near the beaches.
Temporary price gouging protections in place because of the fires are supposed to stop such dramatic rent hikes, but a Times review of online listings this week indicate illegal increases are relatively common. Such listings, which have been blasted on social media, are starting an uproar, causing some landlords to shift course and leading to calls for authorities to prosecute those profiteering off pain.
“They need to move quickly and make an example out of these people,” said Larry Gross, executive director of the Coalition for Economic Survival, a local tenant rights group.
Even some landlords’ organizations are joining the chorus.
“Throw the book at them,” Fred Sutton, a senior vice president with the California Apartment Assn., told the L.A. City Council on Tuesday.
California’s price gouging rules kick in following declared states of emergency and last for 30 days unless they are extended. In the case of the local fires, that means landlords generally cannot charge more than 10% above what they were charging or advertising before Jan. 7.
California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta has warned property owners and the public of the rules and vowed to crack down on violators.
If convicted, landlords face up to a year in jail and thousands of dollars in fines. But the matter has rarely been pursued after previous major wildfires, and some tenant advocates say price gouging is now so prevalent, because people think they can get away with it.
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