Committee advances temporary Los Angeles County rent freeze amid wildfire displacement debate

Assemblymember O'Brien introduced AB 246 to the Assembly Judiciary Committee, proposing a temporary suspension on rent increases across Los Angeles County following the January wildfires, a measure the committee amended and sent onward from the hearing.

"This bill will pause rent increases across L.A. County until March 1, 2026," Assemblymember O'Brien said, adding that violators would face civil penalties up to $10,000. O'Brien and supporters framed the bill as a short-term stability tool to prevent landlords from exploiting displaced residents seeking replacement housing.

Cynthia Banning, a former restaurant manager whose workplace in the Palisades burned, told the committee that employees displaced by the fires were struggling with rent hikes while also seeking new work. "Over half of the Rieland staff have been employed there for more than 20 years," Banning said, describing colleagues who are renters now facing sharp price increases in the rental market.

Susie Shannon, policy director for Housing Is a Human Right and a co-sponsor through the Coalition for Economic Survival, cited press analyses and community-collected listings as evidence of steep local rent spikes following the fires and urged the committee to adopt a temporary pause to allow recovery without market exploitation. "A one-year rent increase suspension for Los Angeles is warranted to allow for recovery," Shannon said; she noted Los Angeles County had voted to support the measure.

Opponents, including the California Apartment Association, California Association of Realtors, California Bankers Association and other landlord and business groups, argued a countywide freeze would harm small, often mom-and-pop, landlords and risk driving rental units off the market. Embert Madison of the California Apartment Association urged a "no" vote, arguing the proposal was more far-reaching than local measures and that existing anti-price-gouging laws and local rent controls already provide protections in emergency zones.

Industry witnesses and trade groups raised a range of concerns: potential state preemption of local housing policy, retroactive liability for rents negotiated before the bill, and the effect on landlords who updated or renovated units expecting to recoup costs at re-rental. Several members of the committee expressed sympathy for both displaced tenants and small landlords, urging the author to continue negotiations on caps, exemptions for newly constructed or new-to-market units, and protections for owners who face rising insurance and operating costs.

During extensive committee discussion, several members asked whether civil penalties would provide timely remedies for displaced tenants, with some advocating for eviction-protection remedies that could be enforced more quickly in landlord-tenant courts. The author and supporters said they intend to continue discussions about procedural and enforcement mechanisms in subsequent committees.

The committee voted to pass AB 246 as amended out of Judiciary. The roll call recorded a mix of aye and no votes; the bill passed the committee and will proceed for further consideration.

Ending details: The bill drew a broad coalition of supporting labor, housing advocates and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and drew organized opposition from landlord associations, business groups and some real-estate trade organizations. Committee members signaled willingness to negotiate amendments addressing rent-control interactions, small-landlord costs and enforcement remedies before the bill progresses.