Selling Sunset's Jason says landlords price gouging over LA fires

Landlords ripping off LA fire victims, says Selling Sunset star

LA landlords illegally inflating rents, says Selling Sunset star

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 centre 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 programme, 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." Follow live updates about LA fires

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Celebrities who have lost their homes 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."