With over 75,000 residents displaced, demand for temporary housing surged. Internal data from the Los Angeles Housing Department indicates a 400% spike in emergency accommodation searches during the initial week of evacuations. While some Airbnb hosts participated in the company's disaster relief program by offering homes at little or no cost, others reportedly hiked prices to exorbitant levels — with some listings shooting up from $250 to $700 or even $1,000 per night within 48 hours of evacuation orders. City officials described this as "opportunistic pricing behavior," raising serious questions about Airbnb's oversight responsibilities during crises. Legal Framework and Airbnb's Defense Under California's price-gouging law, violators may face fines of up to $10,000 per offense, and courts may also order restitution and corrective measures. Airbnb, in its response, emphasized that pricing is determined by individual hosts and not the company.