LA landlords are price gouging in the wildfires, says 'Selling Sunset' star Jason Oppenheim
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- Jason Oppenheim has accused Los Angeles landlords of illegal rent hikes amid the wildfires.
- California law prohibits rent increases of over 10% after an emergency is declared.
- Gov. Gavin Newsom has extended the price-gouging ban until January 2026.
Jason Oppenheim, star of Netflix's "Selling Sunset," has accused Los Angeles landlords of illegally price gouging rental rates amid the city's devastating fires.
In an interview with the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, Oppenheim, who co-runs the Oppenheim Group with his twin brother, called for the exploitative practice to be exposed.
"We're having landlords taking advantage of the situation," he said.
The LA fires, which began nearly a week ago, have killed at least 24 people, left dozens missing, and destroyed thousands of structures, including homes. The total area burned is now larger than Paris.
Oppenheim shared the example of a client who went to view a rental property that was initially asking for $13,000 a month. He said his client offered $20,000 a month and six months of rent paid upfront, but the landlord responded by asking for $23,000 a month.
"There are price-gouging laws in California that are just being ignored right now," he said. "This isn't the time to be taking advantage of situations, and it's also illegal to take advantage of a natural disaster."
Landlords are "absolutely" breaking the law, Oppenheim added.
When California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency on January 7, it automatically triggered a California law restricting price gouging for housing, emergency supplies, and other necessities for up to 180 days.
California's price gouging laws make it unlawful to increase the rental price advertised, offered, or charged for housing by more than 10% after an emergency has been declared.
Newsom also signed an executive order on Sunday prohibiting price gouging "in times of emergency" that would remain in effect until January 7, 2026.
A violation of the price-gouging rules is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for up to a year, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.
On Saturday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said he had seen businesses and landlords "jack up the price."
He said, "It's called price gouging. It is illegal. You cannot do it."
Bonta said that anyone engaging in price gouging would be held accountable.
Displaced residents in LA are scrambling to find rental housing near their schools and workplaces, driving up demand and, in some cases, hiking prices way beyond what is legal. Local publication the LAist spotted a Zillow listing for a home in Bel Air that had its price hiked by 86%.
And with the fires still raging, the situation could get worse.
Although firefighters have made progress in containing the blazes, authorities have warned that dry winds picking up could complicate efforts to control the situation.
Pacific Palisades, home to some of the country's most expensive real estate, has been among the worst-hit areas, and celebrities including Paris Hilton, Billy Crystal, and Milo Ventimiglia, have lost their homes.