California Attorney General Asks Residents to Report Price Gouging Amid Wildfires

The Palisades Fire burns above a home in Mandeville Canyon in Los Angeles on Jan. 11, 2025. Eric Thayer/AP Photo

As two major fires still burn in the greater Los Angeles region, California Attorney General Rob Bonta is asking potential victims to report price gouging in the rental and lodging markets to state or local authorities.

At least 27 people have died, more than 15,000 structures have been destroyed, and thousands have lost their homes due to wildfires in California in 2025.

Bonta also warned California landlords that rental bidding which causes unlawful price increases during a state of emergency is illegal under California’s price gouging statute.

“Reports of rental bidding wars are deeply concerning, especially because some landlords seem to be encouraging them. The bottom line is this: landlords cannot charge, or accept, rent that exceeds the 10 percent cap set by California’s price gouging statute, even if they find someone who is willing to pay it,” he said in a statement on Jan. 18.

Bonta is not the only one on the lookout for such activity. Los Angelenos are already on high alert, as a crowd-sourced effort to gather data about rental price gouging is making the rounds on social media. The project, a publicly-accessible submission portal, allows anyone to submit examples of price gouging.

Katherine Peoples, of Housing People Properly Cares, an organization that helps people find housing, said buyers are already approaching fire victims who didn’t have insurance to see if they’re interested in selling their properties for cheap.

“They’ve come with documents and a notary,” she told The Epoch Times. “There are people that are hovering and waiting to pounce on certain opportunities to take advantage of folks.”

Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Jan. 7 after the first major fire broke out in the Los Angeles area and triggered the price gouging protections for lodging, as well as short- and long-term rental housing. The statute will be in effect until March 8, 2025. Newsom also issued an executive order on Jan. 17 prohibiting landlords from evicting tenants for allowing displaced people to stay in their homes in violation of their lease.

Violators of the price gouging law could face one year in county jail and a fine of up to $10,000. They are also subject to civil enforcement actions, such as civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation, injunctive relief, and mandatory restitution.

Bonta announced in a press conference last week the creation of a Disaster Relief Task Force and a website focused on prosecuting price gougers and others who engage in unlawful conduct.

This week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom also deployed more than 130 fire engines, water tenders, and aircraft to Southern California, as well as personnel ahead of high winds and dry weather in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and throughout Southern California.

The National Weather Service anticipates strong wind gusts to increase the risk of new fires or the rapid spread of existing fires between 12 p.m. Monday and 10 a.m. Tuesday in the wind-prone areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

Brad Jones contributed to this report.