Rent prices in the U.S. have soared to unimaginable heights as unscrupulous landlords seize the opportunity to profit from the ongoing crisis. Five days ago, Maya Lieberman lost everything in the Palisades wildfire, and now she faces the added struggle of finding a place to live. But the greedy landlords are capitalizing on the situation by increasing rents drastically. In areas across Los Angeles, rent hikes have reached sky-high levels, leaving many searching for shelter in a city already burdened by high living costs.
Maya, a 50-year-old stylist, expresses her frustration, saying, "The rent increases are outrageous. This is disgusting." She adds, “We can't find anywhere to go.”
The situation is dire in California’s Los Angeles, where a devastating wildfire has been raging since Tuesday. Despite firefighters' efforts, the blaze is far from controlled, leaving miles of destruction in its wake, including nearly 10,000 structures. The damage continues to escalate. More than 150,000 people have already been ordered to evacuate, and the death toll from the fire has now reached 16.
Pacific Palisades, a luxurious area previously home to stars like Billy Crystal and Kate Beckinsale, is now unrecognizable, with entire neighborhoods reduced to ashes. A mass evacuation order has been issued, and residents who still have homes standing have been forced to relocate. This crisis has hit the middle-class hardest, and opportunistic landlords are exploiting their vulnerability.
Maya Lieberman applied for a house with a rent of $17,000 per month, but now the landlord demands $30,000, threatening, “You won't get the house unless you pay this.”
Many others, like Maya, are facing the same situation across Los Angeles.
Alex Smith, a TV producer forced to leave his home, shares his experience: “Some of my friends had booked hotels outside of Los Angeles, but when they arrived, they were told the rent had gone up.”
California’s Attorney General, Rob Bonta, has expressed outrage over these rent hikes, warning that increasing rent during an emergency is illegal.
He stated, "Raising rents during a crisis is unlawful. We will take a stand against this, and those found guilty will face legal consequences, including jail time." Bonta clarified that once a state of emergency is declared, service providers cannot increase charges by more than 10%.
Amid these skyrocketing rent prices, a 69-year-old retired man, Brian, has resorted to sleeping in his car. He had lived in a small rented apartment in Pacific Palisades for over two decades. However, with the devastating fires and rising rents, his pension no longer covers the cost of living in the city. Rent has doubled over the past decade in urban areas, and the influx of displaced individuals is further driving prices up.
"I’m now competing with thousands of others in the market for a place to rent,” Brian laments.
As rent continues to soar, California’s residents face an increasingly difficult future, with unscrupulous landlords taking full advantage of the disaster.