Selling Sunset star Jason Oppenheim says landlords are illegally raising prices because of the Los Angeles wildfires.
The LA property mogul, who owns the luxury real estate brokerage at the center of the Netflix reality show, said a client was asked to rent a home thousands of dollars more than it actually cost despite California’s anti-price gouging laws.
It came as LA officials warned that anyone “taking advantage” of the disaster to defraud or steal from wildfire victims would be prosecuted.
Thousands of people in Los Angeles have lost their homes and displaced victims say they are facing higher rents and hotel fees.
Oppenheim said his business is offering its services for free and has received dozens of calls from people who have lost their homes.
Speaking to BBC One’s Laura Queensberg program on Sunday, he described sending a client to visit a property where the landlord was previously asking $13,000 a month in rent.
“[My client] Offered $20,000 a month and he offered to pay six months in advance and the landlord said ‘I want $23,000’.
“California has price gouging laws, they are being ignored right now, and this is not the time to take advantage of the situation.”
The 47-year-old added that the disaster was “emotional for everyone”.
He said: “Everyone has tears in their eyes all day, literally from the smoke but also just because it’s emotional to see people struggling like that.”
California officials have warned businesses against illegally raising prices on items by more than 10 percent from their pre-disaster cost.
On Saturday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta also said he had seen landlords illegally raising prices.
“You can’t do that. It’s an offense punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine,” he said.
“This is California law. [and] This is to protect those who suffer from a tragedy.”
‘Lots of Scams’
Price gouging is just one example of the crime that has emerged during the disaster, which has killed at least 16 people.
L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna warned people thinking about theft or “white-collar crime or scams” that police and prosecutors are looking into.
Meanwhile, LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell said “people will go to any lengths possible to exploit the victims of this tragedy”.
Mr McDonnell said there were “a lot of scams” and warned those looking to help “to be careful”.
He encouraged people to do careful research to find reputable organizations, recommended using resources like Charity Navigator or the Better Business Bureau, and urged residents to report fraud.
“Together we can prevent further damage and protect the generosity of our community,” he said.
Meanwhile, the county sheriff, Mr. Luna, said there had been about 29 arrests so far during the fire, including a man who posed as a firefighter to burglarize a home.
He said police were “eager to prosecute” anyone who “took advantage of our residents at this very difficult time” and warned against “white-collar” scams in particular.
On Saturday, police in LA said the number of arrests for looting was “steadily increasing”.
Yet despite some people’s dismay, LA Mayor Karen Bass said more than 13,000 people had donated more than $6m (£4.9m) to the California Community Foundation Wildfire Recovery Fund since the fires broke out on Tuesday. is given