(The Center Square) – Real estate experts say California’s anti-price-gouging laws could make it impossible to rent out housing to the thousands of families displaced by the ongoing wildfires unless the governor issues an executive order excluding rentals from the rules. 

On Sunday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order that enforces the state’s anti-price-gouging rules for disaster areas through Jan. 7, 2026. Under California Penal Code 396, landlords cannot increase asking rents by more than 10% for existing units that were already on the market before the declaration of emergency went into effect.