California has extended laws against price gouging for small businesses and mega-companies until January 7, 2026, amid a crisis triggered by devastating wildfires that have left thousands homeless.
Desperate residents like Maya Lieberman are struggling to find affordable housing as unscrupulous landlords take advantage of the situation. Lieberman, a stylist, said she was offered a $30,000 monthly rent for a house listed at $17,000, and warned that if she didn’t pay, it would be taken by someone else.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has warned that price gouging is illegal and will be prosecuted. He stated that vendors cannot increase prices by more than 10% after a state of emergency is declared.
The extensions comes after Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on Sunday to extend the protections until January 7, 2026.
For many residents like Brian, who has been sleeping in his car since the evacuation order was raised, the rules are almost beside the point. His pension will not be enough to cover increasing rents in a city where prices have doubled in the last decade.
The situation is expected to worsen as tens of thousands of people search for new homes, making it difficult for those who lost their housing to find affordable alternatives.
Source: https://fortune.com/2025/01/12/la-wildfire-evacuees-price-gouging-housing-costs-landlord-listings-palisades-fire