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Housing and Homelessness

Newsom extends rental price gouging protections after LA fires. But there's more

A "for rent" sign in front of a home in December 2023 in Miami, Florida.
A "for rent" sign in front of a home in December 2023 in Miami, Florida.
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Joe Raedle
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Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order to extend certain price gouging protections in Los Angeles County for those who lost their homes in the two L.A. fires through July 1. The order also suspends certain state laws to promote the rebuilding of Altadena's two commercial corridors to their historic, walkable "pre-fire" character.

A slew of executive orders have come from the Governor's office since the start of the Palisades and Eaton fires.

Friday's executive order:

  • Caps prices until July 1 for rental housing, hotels and motels to no more than 10% from before the state of emergency was declared due to the fires.
  • Prohibits landlords until July 1 from evicting tenants so they could relist rental properties at a higher price.
  • Exempts until July 1 single family homes of four bedrooms or more in certain zip codes — many in L.A.'s west side — from the 10% rent cap if they weren't in the rental market in the year before the emergency.
  • Exempts rental units in newly constructed buildings from the 10% rent cap.
  • Continues to suspend laws that would classify occupants of hotels, motels, and temporary housing as tenants after 30 days.
  • Prioritizes those affected by the fires who are experiencing homelessness on waitlists for state-funded housing that they qualify for.
  • Suspends applicable state laws to encourage the rebuilding of two commercial corridors in Altadena — those along Lake Avenue and Fair Oaks Avenue — to its pre-fire, pedestrian-friendly and small business-oriented character.

Read the executive order here.

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