More than a dozen Malibu properties accused of illegal rent hikes post-Palisades Fire
A new report from volunteer activist group Rent Brigade claims that of more than 18,000 alleged rent price gouging incidents reported after last year’s fires, enforcement action is being pursued against only a handful of cases.
In the chaotic weeks following the Jan. 7, 2025, fires, as fire-affected homeowners scrambled to find housing, spreadsheets listing alleged violators trying to take advantage of the disaster flooded the internet. Some of the addresses — including several in Malibu — showed dramatic spikes in asking rents shortly after the tragic wildfires.
At the time, officials from Gov. Gavin Newsom to local Los Angeles County and city leaders warned landlords that raising rents by more than 10% during a declared state of emergency could result in prosecution. Under California law, rent increases exceeding 10% above pre-fire levels violate the state’s price gouging statute, which was triggered when Newsom declared a state of emergency for the historically destructive fires in Los Angeles County.
Price gouging during a declared emergency is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $10,000 fine.Locally, penalties are steeper. The Los Angeles City Council raised potential fines to $30,000 per violation, while Los Angeles County increased its maximum penalty to $50,000.
Yet one year later, only roughly a dozen lawsuits have been filed, even with hundreds of reported cases.
According to Rent Brigade, the crackdown promised by public officials has yielded little. The group says it has received complaints from hundreds of displaced residents who claim they can document rent increases of more than 60%. In addition to individual complaints, Rent Brigade says it scraped rental data from Zillow to track listings where rents appeared to jump beyond the 10% legal threshold. The group claims, however, that rental asking prices do not always reflect actual negotiated lease agreements, which may not be publicly accessible. Volunteers also mailed notices to affected properties informing tenants of their rights and how to report suspected violations.
On its website, Rent Brigade lists hundreds of property addresses it alleges violated the emergency rules. The addresses are scattered across Southern California, with 42% located in Los Angeles County’s 3rd District — which includes Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Venice, Santa Monica, and Calabasas — communities where many displaced residents sought refuge. At least 15 Malibu addresses are suspected of unlawful price bumps.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said Thursday that his office is actively investigating hundreds of complaints. The state’s Disaster Relief Task Force has issued 753 warning letters to landlords, real estate agents, and hotels suspected of price gouging. Criminal charges, however, have been filed in only six cases statewide.
“Folks across the region are being preyed upon by greedy businesses and landlords, scam artists and predatory buyers looking to make a quick buck off their pain,” Bonta said. “They are seeking to re-victimize the victims of the fires — to exploit them in their vulnerable state.”
Rent Brigade contends that no prosecutions have been filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. A statement from District Attorney Nathan Hochman acknowledged that his office has not filed price gouging cases related to the fires, but said prosecutors are collaborating with city and state officials on related enforcement actions.
So far, the City of Los Angeles has filed seven price gouging lawsuits — three civil and four criminal cases— while Bonta’s office has filed six. A successful case can result in restitution payments to victims, in addition to fines and penalties. Rent Brigade estimates that as much as $49 million in excess rent may have been collected over the past year by unscrupulous landlords.
Some proposed reforms aimed at strengthening enforcement stalled in Sacramento. A bill that would have required listing platforms to remove suspected price-gouged properties was ultimately vetoed by Newsom.
The emergency anti-price gouging rules, first enacted last year, have been extended and are set to expire Feb. 27.
Meanwhile, state officials are urging tenants to come forward. The Attorney General’s Office has launched a dedicated website for reporting suspected violations at oag.ca.gov/lafires and established a hotline at (800) 952-5225.
Victims can also contact RentBrigade.org for more guidance on reporting violations and seeking legal assistance.
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