As wildfires continue to ravage Southern California, celebrity realtor Jason Oppenheim is calling attention to a shady practice.
The Selling Sunset star and Oppenheim Group boss put Los Angeles landlords on blast after one of his clients was a victim of price-gouging, which Oppenheim noted is illegal during a natural disaster.
“This is something I want to discuss because I think it should be exposed, but we’re having landlords taking advantage of the situation,” he told BBC.
“Over 100,000 people have been ordered to evacuate communities impacted by the Southern California wildfires,” wrote Biden on X.
To the residents of Southern California: We are with you.”
A dubious practice is being brought to light by celebrity realtor Jason Oppenheim as wildfires continue to rage across Southern California.
The star of Selling Sunset and the head of the Oppenheim Group criticized landlords in Los Angeles after one of his clients was subjected to price-gouging, which is prohibited during a natural disaster, according to Oppenheim.
He told the BBC, “I want to talk about this because I believe it should be made public, but we’re having landlords take advantage of the situation.”. A client of mine was sent to a home that was asking $13,000 per month. When he offered to pay six months in advance and give $20,000 a month, the landlord said, “No, I want $23,000 a month.”. It is illegal to take advantage of a natural disaster, and California has laws against price gouging, but they are currently being disregarded. This is not the time to take advantage of circumstances. “”.
California, as mentioned by Oppenheim, forbids raising rental rates by more than 10% when a state of emergency is declared. In the meantime, Gov. In the midst of the fires, Gavin Newsom has also issued an executive order to stop price gouging and fraud.
Prior to this, Oppenheim offered to provide free legal representation to fire victims through his brokerage firm with his brother, Brett Oppenheim. He wrote on Instagram, “All Oppenheim Group agents will represent you for free or credit you back any commission we receive in the transaction if you lost your home in the Los Angeles fires and you need to find a place to rent until your home is rebuilt.”.
In the meantime, the ongoing wildfires have destroyed the homes of celebrities like Paris Hilton, Milo Ventimiglia, Adam Brody, Leighton Meester, and Billy Crystal.
A “life-threatening and destructive” windstorm that intensified on Tuesday has caused fires in the Hollywood Hills, Eaton Canyon, Malibu, the Pacific Palisades, and other locations in the Los Angeles County area.
There have been at least 16 fatalities from the wildfires in Southern California as of Sunday, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has received 16 reports of missing persons connected to the fires. In the meantime, 87,000 additional people are under evacuation warnings, and over 105,000 people have received mandatory evacuation orders.
Officers in the affected areas have made 29 arrests since the fires began, including for curfew violations, burglaries, and other offenses.
In an effort to visit first responders and those impacted, President Joe Biden extended his trip to Los Angeles on Wednesday. He deemed the fires a major disaster and ordered the federal government to pay for all disaster assistance expenses.
“More than 100,000 people have been told to leave communities affected by the wildfires in Southern California,” Biden posted on X. “There have been two fatalities at least. Firefighters are among the numerous other people hurt. Devastating. We stand with the people of Southern California. “”.
