Luxury real estate mogul and "Selling Sunset" star Jason Oppenheim publicly condemned landlords in Los Angeles for illegally inflating rental prices amid the devastating wildfires sweeping through the region.

Oppenheim, owner of the high-end real estate brokerage featured on the popular Netflix show, revealed that some landlords are blatantly ignoring California's strict anti-price gouging laws during this time of crisis.

Speaking on the BBC's One's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Oppenheim shared a troubling incident where a client was seeking to rent a property initially listed at $13,000 per month. Despite offering $20,000 upfront for six months, the landlord countered, demanding $23,000 monthly instead.

"There are price gouging laws in California, they're just being ignored right now," Oppenheim told the outlet. "This isn't the time to be taking advantage of situations. It's also illegal to take advantage of a natural disaster."

California law prohibits businesses from increasing prices by more than 10% during declared emergencies. Violators face up to a year in jail and hefty fines. "This is California law [and] it's in place to protect those suffering from a tragedy," State Attorney General Rob Bonta previously told reporters.

Thousands of residents have been displaced by the wildfires, with many struggling to find affordable temporary housing. Zillow, a property listing site, cites $2,800 as the median rental price in LA.

In response to the housing crisis, Oppenheim said his brokerage is offering free services to help victims find housing and has received dozens of calls from displaced residents.

Other community members have joined Oppenheim in his generosity. LA Mayor Karen Bass announced that more than 13,000 donors have contributed more than $6 million to the California Community Foundation Wildfire Recovery Fund.

Originally published by Latin Times.

Tags
Selling Sunset, Real estate, Los angeles