If your rent is increasing in Southern California, it could be due to the wildfires in January, according to a new report.
In May, Southern Californians saw an average rent hike of 5.1%, significantly above the national average of 3.8%, explained opinion columnist Jonathan Lansner in the Los Angeles Daily News, adding that it’s “the most extensive spread since February 2019.”
In December, however, the roles were reversed, with national rent inflation higher than Southern California’s. So what changed?
In January, fires in Altadena, the Pacific Palisades and elsewhere destroyed more than 12,000 structures.
“Hard to ignore such a twist,” notes Lansner, who adds that rising wages and a larger housing stock nationally, though not in Southern California, could also be factors.
Also of note is the disparity even within Southern California.
In Los Angeles and Orange counties, rent increases have been flat thus far this year, but in the Inland Empire and San Diego, the rent increases in 2025 have outpaced 2024.
“Perhaps demand for rentals may have moved inland and south,” Lansner said.
