Rental housing prices in L.A. are spiking as historic fires rage in Southern California, forcing thousands of displaced residents to scramble for new homes.
Reporters spotted a Zillow listing for a furnished home in Bel Air posted on Saturday morning at $29,500 per month—a staggering 86% increase from September 2024, according to the listing's price history, which showed the home previously listed at $15,900 per month.
When a reporter contacted the listing agent, Fiora Aston of Compass, she stated that dozens of prospective tenants who had lost their homes to the fires were reaching out about this and other listings on L.A.’s Westside. When asked about the sharp rent increase for the Bel Air home, Aston said she was getting another call and hung up.
"It's crazy," Aston said before ending the conversation. "I've been in the business for 35 years, and I've never seen anything like this. People are desperate. So many families are without homes."
Reporters reached out to Compass's media relations team for comment on the Bel Air listing but did not immediately receive a response. By Saturday afternoon, the listing had been removed. Aston later texted that a family member had moved into the property.