Consumer Protections After the LA Fires: What Remains

Updated October 2026

Most emergency consumer protections from the January 2025 fires have ended. Price-gouging limits on rent ended in LA County on May 28, 2026, but stayed in force inside the City of Los Angeles as of June 2026.

The short version

• The state order limiting rent and hotel price increases expired July 1, 2025.
• LA County’s local rent cap, 10% above pre-fire levels, was extended several times and ended May 28, 2026.
• The City of LA kept its local emergency and its price-gouging protections in place as of June 2026. Check with the LA City Attorney before you sign a lease.
• Utility relief under CPUC emergency rules is tied to the emergency. Ask your utility whether it still applies to your account.

Utility protections under CPUC rules

• Electric and gas: no shutoffs for nonpayment during the emergency, deposits waived for a year when you restart service, and payment plans that start at no more than 20% of the balance.
• Water and sewer: reconnection fees waived, and bills can be waived for homes that were lost.
• Landline: installation and wiring fees waived at temporary and permanent homes.

Hiring for the rebuild

Check every contractor’s license with the Contractors State License Board before you sign. Be wary of anyone who asks for a large deposit or pushes you to skip permits.

For the permit path, see our like-for-like rules guide.

How we use it

Mariposa Complex at 385 Mariposa St in Altadena is our post-fire rebuild after the Eaton Fire. Built on SB 1123, it places three homes along a shared driveway, each with an attached ground-floor ADU. It won the 2026 AIA Pasadena & Foothill Rebuild Design Award for The Most Collaborative Process.

Sources: LA City Attorney, June 2026, Snell & Wilmer on EO N-23-25.

From our portfolio

Mariposa Complex, Altadena

A post-fire rebuild for more than one household, and winner of a 2026 AIA Pasadena & Foothill Rebuild Design Award.

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