Supervisors Side With Fire Victims in New Protections Vote

Los Angeles County is once again hitting pause on rent hikes for Palisades and Eaton fire survivors and furthering protections against evictions.

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to extend emergency rent caps through April 28, continuing a policy that limits increases to 10 percent above pre-fire levels, the Los Angeles Daily News reported.

The extension is the latest in a string of 30-day renewals dating back to January 2025, when the Palisades and Eaton fires displaced roughly 32,000 residents and destroyed more than 12,000 homes. Roughly 70 percent of affected households still haven’t returned home, leaving many stuck in costly temporary rentals, according to the county’s Department of Consumer and Business Affairs.

Approximately half of fire survivors have racked up more than $300,000 in debt over the past year, while nearly half have used up significant portions of their savings, according to DCBA. Complaints about rent gouging, which spiked immediately after the fires, have ticked up again in 2026, with roughly 200 filed in February alone. About 86 percent of the complaints to the county are for high rents.

Supporters of the cap say lifting protections now would push vulnerable tenants toward eviction or homelessness. Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who introduced the motion, warned that “those displaced people will continue to need temporary housing for months, if not years,” especially as insurance payouts lag and rebuilding remains slow. Only about 14 percent of homeowners have secured permits to rebuild, Rafael Carbajal, director of DCBA, said.

Opponents, including landlord groups, argue the rent cap policy has outlived its usefulness, pointing to rising vacancy rates and modest rent growth as evidence the market is stabilizing. Some smaller owners say prolonged caps are squeezing them amid rising insurance and maintenance costs, according to the Daily News.

In a separate vote, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors also approved a measure extending the eviction time limit in unincorporated areas, giving tenants two months instead of one before formal proceedings can begin. The move amends the county’s Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protections Ordinance that began in 2022 and only applies to unincorporated parts of the county, which include portions of both the Palisades and Eaton burn zones.

The new eviction timeline takes effect in one month. “This is a modest but necessary increase,” Supervisor Janice Hahn, who co-authored the motion with Supervisor Hilda Solis, said. “With this additional month, I hope we can give renters some breathing room while not putting the entire burden on landlords who also depend on rental income to pay their own bills.”

— Chris Malone Méndez