Overview

• The lawsuit accuses Airbnb of enabling rent hikes above the 10% emergency cap on more than 2,000 properties during January’s southern California wildfires.
• Los Angeles seeks a court order to halt unauthorized rate increases during the state of emergency and impose up to $2,500 in fines for each instance of price gouging.
• The complaint alleges that Airbnb misled renters by claiming hosts and property locations were verified when some listings did not actually exist.
• Airbnb denies wrongdoing, citing its automated system that blocks increases over 10% and its nearly $30 million in wildfire relief contributions, including free emergency housing.
• The case spotlights growing legal scrutiny of online rental platforms under California’s anti-gouging law, which remains in effect through January 2026.