Chelsea Kirk, founding member of the Rent Brigade, speaks at a community action night in February at Bernie's Coffee Shop near LACMA.
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Courtesy of the Rent Brigade
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Topline:
After January's fires, a quickly assembled collective of investigators found thousands of online rental listings that appeared to have broken California’s law against post-disaster price gouging. But four months later, the number of criminal cases filed over illegal rent hikes can be counted on one hand.
The details: The group, calling itself the Rent Brigade, joined forces after tenant advocate Chelsea Kirk started an online spreadsheet to track Zillow listings that appeared to be raising rents above legal limits. In the latest episode of the LAist podcast Imperfect Paradise, Kirk describes the team’s formation and the “sense of defeat” she has felt over seeing prosecutors file four criminal cases so far.
Read on … to learn how families who lost their homes managed to find their next move, despite all the chaos in L.A.'s rental housing market.
Four months ago, the Palisades and Eaton fires delivered twin jolts to Los Angeles County’s already fragile housing landscape. The region’s supply of housing fell sharply as entire neighborhoods turned to ash.
The result was as predictable as it was disturbing. Rents quickly spiked on home listings, often above the 10% limit established by California’s law against post-disaster price gouging.
Chelsea Kirk, a policy director with Strategic Actions for a Just Economy, started tracking these listings in an online spreadsheet that soon went viral, attracting national and global attention from onlookers who were outraged at how L.A. landlords were responding to the tragedy.
“I just got fired up,” Kirk told LAist in the latest episode of our Imperfect Paradise podcast.
The episode traces the growth of the Rent Brigade, a collective of like-minded rent hike investigators who assembled around Kirk with the goal of fighting post-fire price gouging.
You can listen to the full episode here:
Before January was over, the Rent Brigade released a study that found more than 1,340 Zillow listings in apparent violation of the state’s price gouging law less than two weeks after the fires started. As of this week, the tally had grown to more than 8,000 listings.
Thousands of questionable listings; four criminal cases
Rent Brigade volunteers gather at Bernie's Coffee Shop near LACMA.
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Courtesy of the Rent Brigade
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For months, the group continued to document thousands more listings that appeared to have broken the law. But, so far, the number of criminal cases filed can be counted on one hand.
Prosecutors have filed misdemeanor charges over alleged price gouging in four cases:
California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed charges against La Cañada Flintridge real estate agent Mike Kobeissi for allegedly raising rent on a listing by 38%. Kobeissi told LAist he had not broken the law.
Bonta’s office later filed charges against real estate agent Lar Sevan Chouljian for allegedly attempting to rent a Glendale home for more than 50% above the listed rent. Chouljian said in a text message to LAist, “There was absolutely no price gouging involved.”
In a third case, Bonta’s office charged landlord Edward Kushins and real estate agent Willie Baronet-Israel for allegedly increasing rent on a Hermosa Beach home by 36%. Baronet-Israel and Kushins’ attorney both told LAist they did not intend to price gouge.
L.A. City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto filed charges against homeowner Noelle Cooke and real estate agent Roger Perry for allegedly illegally raising rent by 38%. Perry’s attorney told LAist that Perry “de-listed the property in less than a day and a half on his own accord once his company advised that the listed rent exceeded the newly enacted mandate… there was no financial harm to anyone.” LAist also reached out to Cooke for comment, but has not heard back.
In a separate case involving a short-term rental operation, prosecutors in Feldstein Soto’s office said they uncovered evidence of post-fire rent hikes of up to 56% in Zillow listings posted by Blueground US, Inc. The city attorney filed civil charges in that case, not criminal.
Some prosecutors have yet to file any charges
About a week after the fires broke out, L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman joined LAist’s Airtalk and said his office had received dozens of rent gouging complaints. He said people breaking the law were “engaging in completely disgraceful and shameful conduct,” and justice would be “swift and the penalties will be severe.”
Hochman has yet to file any price gouging charges.
“The district attorney’s office cannot file charges unless law enforcement presents a case to our office for charge evaluation and case filing consideration,” a district attorney spokesperson said in an email to LAist.
“To date, while there are many pending investigations, law enforcement has not presented a case to our office to charge under California’s price gouging law,” the spokesperson said.
All the cases brought forward so far are in early stages. Arraignment dates in two of the cases filed by Bonta’s office are set for later this month. If found guilty, the defendants face up to one year in jail and up to $10,000 in fines.
For those fighting rent gouging, ‘a sense of defeat’
Rent Brigade volunteers at an event in Pasadena on May 4.
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Courtesy of the Rent Brigade
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The Rent Brigade says they’ve now found more than 8,000 listings that appear to have broken the law. Kirk said it’s been disappointing to see charges filed in connection with less than 1% of the listings documented in the spreadsheet she started.
“There was so much outrage publicly and by political actors that I thought maybe people will see justice for once,” Kirk said.
Months later, she acknowledged: “There is a sense of defeat.”
State and local prosecutors say they’ve sent hundreds of warning letters to property owners suspected of price gouging. They say these admonitions have succeeded at getting many landlords, who are sometimes unaware of the law, to lower their rents to within legal limits.
Prosecutors also say they need to see more than a fishy Zillow listing before filing charges. In order to confidently bring forward a criminal case, they want to find renters who were actually harmed. They’ve encouraged people to submit complaints that include screenshots, texts and emails showing landlords and real estate agents engaging in price gouging.
Kirk said she brought one example with a clear victim — including screenshots of text messages between a landlord and prospective tenant — to the L.A. County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs and to the L.A. city attorney’s office.
She said there’s been no movement on that case. Prosecutors have said they won’t comment on ongoing investigations.
Chelsea Kirk and a Rent Brigade volunteer at a community action night in February.
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Courtesy of the Rent Brigade
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Giving up on L.A.’s rental market
Tenant advocates say they believe some landlords have felt emboldened by the limited enforcement, raising rents above legal maximums with little fear of repercussions.
Meanwhile, some families who lost their homes to the fires became so discouraged by stratospheric rent hikes that they gave up looking at publicly listed properties.
Tina Poppy said she saw lots of price gouging in L.A.’s rental market after her family’s home in Altadena was destroyed. She said hunting for a longer-term living situation was maddening.
“I saw my old house in Silver Lake, and it was $7,000 a month,” Poppy said. “I had rented it up until 2019 for $2,000 a month. When I saw that, I just closed my laptop.”
Instead, she started working her social circle. She went down her list of friends and acquaintances to ask if any homes were available for her, her husband, two children and three dogs.
Eventually Poppy’s family landed in the home of a friend who planned to move to Pennsylvania. That friend is charging them the equivalent of her monthly homeownership costs.
Poppy said since the fires, her family has seen the best and the worst of L.A.
“People trying to profit off of your pain, and then on the flip side, people that are like, ‘Here, you can live in my home and I'll move out and I'll find another place to live,’” Poppy said. “Really, you see both sides of it — the human generosity and then, just human greed.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 14: Max Muncy #13, Tommy Edman #25, Mookie Betts #50, Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers look on during a pitching change during the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game three of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium on October 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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Sean M. Haffey
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Getty Images North America
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Topline:
Milwaukee’s brilliant bullpen slammed the door late and the Brewers rallied past the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 on Thursday in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series to earn their first trip to the World Series since 1982.
What happened: Shohei Ohtani’s first home run this postseason helped put the Dodgers ahead 4-0 in the second inning before the Brewers came back to complete a four-game sweep of the two-time defending World Series champions a year after getting swept by Los Angeles in the NLCS.
Garrett Mitchell hit a go-ahead homer in the sixth inning, Milwaukee’s brilliant bullpen slammed the door late and the Brewers rallied past the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 on Thursday in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series to earn their first trip to the World Series since 1982.
No. 9 hitter David Hamilton’s two-out solo shot off Edwin Díaz gave the Brewers a two-run cushion in the ninth. Hamilton had just four homers in the regular season.
“We got down early tonight and we were like, it’s going to be a great story,” Brewers captain Christian Yelich said. “We’re going to come back and win this. Like, stay together, start chipping away. And that’s exactly what they did.”
Shohei Ohtani’s first home run this postseason helped put the Dodgers ahead 4-0 in the second inning before the Brewers came back to complete a four-game sweep of the two-time defending World Series champions a year after getting swept by Los Angeles in the NLCS.
Milwaukee became the first major league club to complete a postseason sweep after getting swept by that same opponent in the previous postseason.
“Playing with that chip on our shoulder,” Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby said. “You don’t ever know what to expect going into a series like that last year. You don’t know how bad it can be, and then it was as bad as it was. And we came out and we survived, and we came back this year, and those guys played their tails off.”
The Brewers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games in their only other World Series appearance, when Milwaukee played in the American League.
With the score tied 4-all, Mitchell fell behind 0-2 before reliever Tanner Scott threw three straight balls for a full count. Mitchell’s 409-foot leadoff drive to center field — the first homer of his career on an 0-2 count — put the Brewers ahead for the first time. Mitchell also homered in their 6-2 victory Wednesday.null
“I’ve always dreamt of moments like these as a kid,” Mitchell said.
The Brewers’ bullpen coolly turned away multiple threats when the Dodgers had the potential tying run on base.
Winning pitcher JoJo Romero struck out Max Muncy with Kyle Tucker at third to end the sixth.
Ashby, who worked three scoreless innings for a save, struck out Ohtani swinging before Mookie Betts grounded out with Andy Pages at third to end the seventh. Will Smith doubled to right with one out in the eighth and was safe at third when the ball got away from Sal Frelick for an error before Ashby got Tucker to fly out and Teoscar Hernández to strike out.
The Brewers tied it in the fifth, when the Dodgers bullpen issued four walks and Milwaukee stole two bases. Hamilton’s single chased starter Tyler Glasnow and scored Frelick, who walked and stole second, to pull Milwaukee to 4-3.
Alex Vesia came in and promptly walked Brice Turang and William Contreras to load the bases. Vesia then walked NLCS MVP Jake Bauers with two outs to force in Hamilton with the tying run.
Glasnow retired his first 10 batters — six on strikeouts — before the Brewers got to him in the fourth. Turang walked, Contreras hit a ground-rule double and Bauers followed with another ground-rule double that closed Milwaukee to 4-2.
Ohtani broke out of his postseason slump with a three-run homer after Pages’ RBI single in the second. The four-time MVP released weeks of pent-up frustration by raising his arms and yelling and the crowd of 49,104 joined him in celebration.
Matthew Ballinger
is the senior editor for climate and environment coverage at LAist.
Published October 15, 2026 5:52 PM
The Henderson Fire sparked Thursday afternoon at Camp Pendleton.
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Alert California
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UC San Diego
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Topline:
Parts of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton have been ordered to evacuate, and the 5 Freeway has been closed in both directions as a wildfire burns in the area. The Henderson Fire had charred more than 1,100 acres as of 4:40 p.m.
What we know so far: The 5 Freeway was closed between Harbor Drive, near Oceanside, and Basilone Road, near the Orange County line. The Camp Pendleton Fire Department was fighting the fire, according to Cal Fire.
Read on ... for more on evacuations and weather conditions.
This is a developing story. For the most up-to-date information about the fire you can check:
Parts of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton have been ordered to evacuate, and the 5 Freeway was briefly closed in both directions due to a wildfire in the area. The Henderson Fire had charred more than 1,118 acres as of 7 p.m.
CHP closed the 5 Freeway between Harbor Drive, near Oceanside, and Basilone Road, near the Orange County line, but began reopening the interstate just before 6 p.m.
The Camp Pendleton Fire Department was fighting the fire, according to Cal Fire.
The basics
Acreage: 1,118 acres as of Thursday afternoon
Containment: 0%
Structures destroyed: None reported
Deaths: None reported
Injuries: None reported
Evacuation orders
According to Cal Fire: "An evacuation order has been published for the Las Flores (41 Area). All affected personnel, please evacuate to Paige Field House, located in the 11 Area." A secondary evacuation point was set up at 21 Area gym, according to the Camp Pendleton Facebook page.
Road closures
5 Freeway between Basilone Road and Harbor Drive, but it was being reopened.
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Destiny Torres
covers all things SoCal, from breaking news to local government, with a focus on Orange County.
Published October 15, 2026 4:19 PM
A Costa Mesa woman who pleaded guilty earlier this year for registering her dog to vote and casting ballots in two elections has had her case dismissed
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Tiffany Ujiiye
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LAist
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Topline:
A Costa Mesa woman who pleaded guilty earlier this year for registering her dog to vote and casting ballots in two elections has had her case dismissed, according to the district attorney’s office Thursday. She won’t serve time but will have to pay for four anti-voter fraud billboards that feature her dog’s image.
Background: Laura Lee Yourex, 64, was charged with five felonies in 2025 for illegally registering her dog and casting ballots on its behalf. Yourex was facing up to six years in prison. In April, Yourex pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge of knowingly registering a “non-existent person to vote,” and the DA’s office dismissed the remaining four felony charges against her. LAist did not immediately hear from Yourex’s lawyer.
More on the billboards:As part of the plea deal, Yourex was required to pay $1,500 for four anti-voter fraud billboards along the 55 and 22 freeways in Orange County for the Nov. 3 General Election. The billboards read, “Don’t be a dog. Voter Fraud is a Crime. If you can’t legally vote, don’t vote. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office will prosecute.”
Laura Lee Yourex was required to pay $1,500 for four anti-voter fraud billboards along the 55 and 22 freeways in Orange County.
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Courtesy of the OC District Attorney's Office.
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Why this matters: The dog incident comes at a time of heightened debate over voter ID. In the General Election, Californians will be asked whether to require voters to show proof of ID at polling places and provide identification numbers on mail-in ballots. Currently, voters only need to provide an ID and Social Security number when they register to vote.
Wine sales have decreased by more than 20% over a five-year period.
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Kelsey Knight
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Unsplash
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Topline:
California’s wine industry is still trying to figure out how to adapt to a world with fewer alcohol drinkers, where even the most high-end wineries are fighting a losing battle. Because the state has more wine than people want to drink, some wineries are quietly selling their premium bottles under generic retail home brands like Costco’s Kirkland Signature or Kroger and Aldi labels.
Sales: Wine sales have decreased by more than 20% over a five-year period, causing grape prices to drop and prompting California growers to take roughly a quarter of the state’s vineyards out of production.
“They have way too much of it, and they haven’t been able to sell it the last few years,” said Jess Lander, wine reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, during a conversation on AirTalk, LAist 89.3’s daily news show.
Listen
15:51
How California wineries are dealing with a high-end bottle surplus
Bargain bottles: Lander has reported that bottles that typically cost around $150 are now, in some cases, going for less than $30 under a different brand label.
How to take advantage: Lander says if you’re looking to take advantage of the surplus bargain, look at the region on the bottle and then do a little experimenting with your palate.
Listen to the full conversation above: To learn more about the wine industry’s outlook and the effects on consumers.
Topline:
California’s wine industry is still trying to figure out how to adapt to a world with fewer alcohol drinkers, where even the most high-end wineries are fighting a losing battle. Because the state has more wine than people want to drink, some wineries are quietly selling their premium bottles under generic retail home brands like Costco’s Kirkland Signature or Kroger and Aldi labels.
Sales: Wine sales have decreased by more than 20% over a five-year period, causing grape prices to drop and prompting California growers to take roughly a quarter of the state’s vineyards out of production.
“They have way too much of it, and they haven’t been able to sell it the last few years,” said Jess Lander, wine reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, during a conversation on AirTalk, LAist 89.3’s daily news show.
Bargain bottles: Lander has reported that bottles that typically cost around $150 are now, in some cases, going for less than $30 under a different label.
How to take advantage: Lander says if you’re looking to take advantage of the surplus bargain, look at the region on the bottle and then do a little experimenting with your palate.
Listen to the full conversation above: To learn more about the wine industry’s outlook and the effects on consumers.
