Landlords 'ripping off LA fire victims'

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - LOS ANGELES — Landlords have been illegally raising prices due to the Los Angeles wildfires, says Selling Sunset star Jason Oppenheim.

The LA property mogul, who owns the luxury real estate brokerage at the center of the Netflix reality show, said one client had been asked for thousands over the original asking price to rent a home — despite California's anti "price gouging" laws.

It comes as LA officials warned anyone caught "taking advantage" of the disaster by scamming or burgling wildfire victims would be prosecuted.

Thousands of people have lost homes in LA and displaced victims say they are facing sky-high rental prices and hotel fees.

Oppenheim said his business, known for selling LA's most expensive and glamorous homes, was offering its services for free and had received dozens of calls from people who had lost homes.

Speaking on BBC One's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg program, he described sending a client to visit a property where the landlord had previously been asking for $13,000 per month in rent.

"[My client] offered $20,000 a month and he offered to pay six months upfront and the landlord said 'I want $23,000'," he said.

"There are price gouging laws in California, they're just being ignored right now, and this isn't the time to be taking advantage of situations."

The 47-year-old added that the disaster had been "emotional for everyone".

He said: "Everyone has tears in their eyes all day long, literally from the smoke but also just because it's emotional to see people struggling like this."

California authorities have warned businesses against illegally hiking the price of items more than 10% above their pre-disaster cost.

On Saturday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta also said he had seen landlords raising prices illegally.

"You cannot do it. It is a crime punishable by up to a year in jail and fines," he said.

"This is California law [and] it's in place to protect those suffering from a tragedy."

Retiree Brian, who wanted to be identified by only his first name, had lived in a rent-controlled apartment in the Pacific Palisades for two decades and lost his home in the fires.

The 69-year-old is afraid his pension will not allow him to find a new home in a city where rents have doubled over the last decade.

According to property listings site Zillow, the median rent for properties in LA is $2,800 (£2,295).

"I'm back on the market with tens of thousands of people," Brian told AFP.

"That doesn't bode well."

Price gouging is just one example of the criminality that has emerged amid the disaster, which has killed at least 16 people.

LA County Sheriff Robert Luna warned those thinking of committing burglary or "white collar crime or a scam" that police and prosecutors were watching.

Meanwhile, LA police chief Jim McDonnell said "people will go to all ends to be able to do what it is they want to do to exploit the victims of this tragedy".

McDonnell said there "are a lot of scams" and warned those who want to help to donate "with caution".

He encouraged people to conduct careful research to find reputable organizations, recommending using resources such as Charity Navigator or the Better Business Bureau, and urged residents to report fraud.

"Together we can prevent further harm and protect the generosity of our community," he said.

Luna, the county sheriff, said there had so far been approximately 29 arrests amid the fires, including a man posing as a firefighter to burgle a home.

He said police were "eager to prosecute" anyone who had "taken advantage of our residents during this very difficult time" and specifically warned against "white collar" scams.

On Saturday, police in LA said the number of arrests for looting was "continuously growing".

Yet despite the malfeasance of some, LA mayor Karen Bass said more than 13,000 people have donated over $6m (£4.9m) to California's Community Foundation Wildfire Recovery Fund since the fires began on Tuesday. — BBC