Rents Near L.A. Fire Areas Rising Faster Than County Average: Report

Rents in areas around January’s Pacific Palisades and Altadena fires are rising significantly faster than the rest of Los Angeles County, a new report found. 
The average rent in ZIP codes within three miles of the two fire areas have risen at more than twice the rate of rent prices elsewhere in L.A. County since the end of last year, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis of Zillow data. The Times compared average rents at single-family dwellings, condos and apartments, in ZIP codes across the county, from December to April of 2023, 2024 and 2025.
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Between December and April, average rent in ZIP codes within three miles of the Palisades Fire zone (Malibu, Santa Monica and Westwood) rose by 4.8 percent. In ZIP codes within three miles of the Eaton Fire zone (Pasadena, Arcadia and Monrovia), rent rose by 5.2 percent. In ZIP codes further than three miles from the burn zones, however, rent increased by just 2.2 percent, per the Times. 
A spokesperson for the L.A. County Board of Supervisors did not immediately respond to a request by Commercial Observer for comment. 
Elevated demand for space near the communities is likely driving the difference in rent growth, as many people whose dwellings were damaged or destroyed sought to stay as close to their former homes as possible in the aftermath. 
Some opportunistic landlords jumped at the chance to dramatically raise their rent prices in the weeks after the fires began, despite the automatic ban on rent hikes of more than 10 percent throughout the duration of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s state of emergency declaration. The state of emergency has since been extended until July, yet there were widespread reports of some rents spiking by more than 50 percent at the time.
In response, the Board of Supervisors passed temporary eviction protection for tenants financially impacted by the fires, while also prohibiting late fees and allowing a 12-month grace period to repay back rent. The protections remain in effect only from Feb. 1 until July 31 of this year, however. The L.A. City Council ultimately rebuffed an effort to pass similar protections. 
Nick Trombola can be reached at ntrombola@commercialobserver.com.