A new study by a tenant advocacy group shows a major increase in rent prices across the Los Angeles area during Southern California’s recent wildfires despite laws preventing price gouging

The recent infernos in Southern California have ignited a housing crisis, with rental prices exploding and home values reeling across the region, according to one senior real estate analyst.

Rent prices across the Los Angeles region have skyrocketed just as thousands of people are scrambling to find lodging after the wildfires. The Washington Post, for example, analyzed listings via RentCast and found that rent has increased 20% overall in Los Angeles County since the fires began.