Los Angeles County’s new anti-rent gouging laws, created to protect fire victims from housing price spikes, remain largely unused according to a new report released Tuesday.
The report from grassroots organization The Rent Brigade reveals that despite thousands of Los Angeles homes being destroyed by wildfires last year, enforcement mechanisms created to prevent massive rent hikes have gone unutilized. No lawsuits have been filed under the L.A. City Council’s anti-rent gouging ordinance, and county officials have yet to levy any fines against landlords despite having the authority to do so.
“The various legislative tools that have been provided to hold landlords accountable for price gouging are not really being used to the extent that they should be,” said Anjali Claes, an organizer with The Rent Brigade, in an interview with LAist.
The lack of enforcement isn’t due to a shortage of violations. The Rent Brigade has documented more than 18,000 rental listings that appear to violate state law prohibiting rent increases above 10% following a disaster declaration. Some researchers have found rents rose by an average of 20% across L.A. County after the fires, with certain areas seeing much steeper increases.
Local lawmakers created new enforcement pathways last year after prosecutors filed only a handful of criminal cases related to rent gouging. The L.A. City Council approved an ordinance in February 2025 establishing a “private right of action” allowing tenants to sue landlords in civil court. In July 2025, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors gave the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs authority to directly fine landlords without waiting for criminal prosecutions.
Despite these new tools, enforcement remains minimal. According to the report, only 13 people have faced charges in 10 separate lawsuits from the California Attorney General and the L.A. City Attorney. L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, who publicly vowed to pursue rent-gouging landlords after the fires, has not filed any charges.
The report also raises questions about political influence, noting that some landlords accused of price gouging had made substantial campaign donations to officials responsible for enforcement. According to Shelterforce, enforcers meant to regulate rent gouging received at least $302,000 in donations from alleged rent gougers.
Claes suggested several reasons for the lack of enforcement, including tenants being unaware of their options and attorneys hesitating to file cases without established precedent. She also noted that county officials might still be investigating landlords but aren’t disclosing much information.
“The only information we have is that there are no closed investigations,” Claes said. “It’s really hard to say why those fines haven’t been issued yet.”
With California’s wildfire season expected to intensify in coming years due to climate change, housing advocates warn that stronger enforcement mechanisms will be crucial to protect vulnerable renters during future disasters.
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