Los Angeles rent hikes run twice national increases, report says
The cost of acquiring a rental in the Los Angeles region has increased well above seasonal and national norms following January’s firestorms.
Data from ApartmentList shows L.A. rents have risen 0.7% in the first two months of the year. That’s more than double the 0.3% increases for both local units in the same period in 2024 and hikes seen by renters nationwide at the start of 2025. ApartmentList combines its rent listings and government rent-cost data to create its price indexes.
The unfathomable loss of housing supply after the January wildfires makes finding a replacement home a considerable challenge. The local housing market is trying to absorb a surge in demand after some 12,000-plus properties were destroyed in Pacific Palisades and Altadena.
Significant price hikes have been found near the fire zones. For example, rents in Santa Monica, near the Palisades fire, are up 3% year to date. Typical two-bedroom units run $2,867 in that city.
Near the Eaton fire in Glendale, where a typical two-bedroom unit is priced at $2,462, rent is up 2.1% in two months, Pasadena at $2,731 is up 2% and Burbank, at $2,448, is up 1.9%.
Rents are surging in the region, and not just near the fire zones. In Pomona, where a two-bedroom units goes for $1,931, rent is up 2.1%. Anaheim, with a $2,436 two-bedroom cost, has seen its rent rise 1.3%. Brea, at $2,628, is up 1.2%. And Santa Clarita, at $2,445, is up 0.8%.