An emergency was declared in California on January 7, when the fires started. On January 12, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order that extended laws "prohibiting price gouging in times of emergency" until January 7, 2026, in Los Angeles County.

Newsweek found properties that jacked up their prices during the California wildfires raising concerns of potential price gouging.

“just a quick scan of zillow reveals a few egregious instances of price gouging by landlords and agents. this is illegal,” someone else noted, highlighting one listing that was originally priced at $7,500 per month in late October and as of Jan. 11, went up to $11,000.

Because California is in a state of emergency, laws targeting price-gouging, including a ban on landlords raising rents by more than 10 percent of pre-emergency levels, should be in effect. But that hasn't deterred some landlords from apparently raising their rents by far more than that,

Within the week since Los Angeles’s worst-ever disaster began, rent gouging has become a crisis on top of the crisis. It’s against the law to increase a rental price by more than 10 percent once a state of emergency has been declared;

Landlords in Los Angeles are facing accusations of price gouging by significantly increasing rents for high-demand properties amid the ongoing wildfires. Despite California laws prohibiting price hikes over 10% during emergencies,

With so many people displaced and looking for rentals, the region’s housing options could grow even scarcer and more expensive.

California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta announced charges against a La Cañada Flintridge real estate agent for allegedly raising the price of his rental by 38% after L.A.'s wildfires.

The fires in the Palisades and other Los Angeles neighborhoods have led to Ryan Serhant and other Connecticut realtors fielding calls.

Prices are now 1.5% off their all-time high in July, but some economists say prospective home buyers and sellers shouldn’t expect home values to plunge — one reason behind the shift is the market typically slows in the fall and winter and prices are still above where they were a year ago.

A law barring monthly rents of more than $10,000 for new listings is stopping high-end homes from going on the market, real estate agents and brokers say. Such homes could be in demand for wealthy fire victims.