The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to extend rent gouging protections for another month, pushing back a deadline that would have allowed landlords to raise rents by more than 10% starting next week. The 4-0 vote extends the protections through July 31, with Supervisor Kathryn Barger absent from the meeting.
The extension comes six months after devastating wildfires in January displaced thousands of residents and created a housing shortage that some landlords have exploited with illegal rent increases. Under state law, the county can only extend the protections for 30 days at a time.
Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Kathryn Barger, who introduced the motion, cited continued reports of illegal rent hikes despite existing protections1. "The fires may have been six months ago, but for too many, recovery is still ongoing — and unfortunately, that's exactly when bad actors try to strike," Horvath said in a statement2.
The motion referenced a recent Los Angeles Times report showing rent prices near burn areas rising faster than other parts of the county2. "Families that signed six-month short-term leases in the immediate wake of the fires, could now face drastic price increases of 50% or more without further price gouging protection," the supervisors' motion stated3.
Horvath indicated the board may consider additional extensions beyond July 31. "It is certainly my intention, and we'll find out if it's the will of the board at a future date, whether to extend beyond 30 days," she said during Tuesday's meeting1.
The rent gouging ban, originally activated by Governor Gavin Newsom's emergency declaration in January, limits rent increases to 10% above pre-fire rates12. Violators face fines up to $10,000 and up to one year in jail2.
A February report by the Rent Brigade found 1,343 instances of rent gouging occurred within the first 11 days of the emergency declaration, averaging 120 new violations per day2. Some landlords raised rents by 25% to nearly 50%, prompting a mass lawsuit against six LA-based landlords in February3.
The Palisades and Eaton fires destroyed more than 5,000 homes and displaced thousands of residents in January1. Beyond rent protections, the county also approved eviction protections for tenants who lost income due to the fires, running through July 312.
"In the aftermath of unimaginable loss, wildfire survivors deserve the peace of mind that comes with knowing they won't be priced out of their communities," Barger said3.
