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We have detected that fraudulent individuals are misusing the "DWS" trademark and the names of DWS employees on the internet and social media. These fraudsters are operating fake websites, Facebook pages, and WhatsApp groups. Please be aware that DWS does not have any Facebook Ambassador profiles or WhatsApp chats. If you receive any unexpected calls, messages, or emails claiming to be from DWS, exercise caution and do not make any payments or disclose personal information. We encourage you to report any suspicious activity to info@dws.com, including any relevant documents and the original fraudulent email. Additionally, if you believe you have been a victim of fraud, please notify your local authorities and take steps to protect yourself.

Los Angeles County Wildfires: Implications for Residential & Commercial Real Estate Sectors

The Los Angeles County wildfires have become the region's worst fire disaster in history. What will the impacts be across residential and commercial properties.  

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Los Angeles wildfires are on track to rank among the costliest fire disasters in U.S. history

The Los Angeles County wildfires have become the region's worst fire disaster in history with new damage and economic loss estimates reaching between $250 billion and $275 billion, according to forecasting firm AccuWeather. The wildfires, including those in the in the neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades and Altadena, have caused officials to evacuate some 88,000 people from their homes, with another 84,800 under evacuation warnings due to fire risk.[1]

Impacts Across Commercial Properties

Fueled by high winds and dry conditions, roughly 12 million square feet of commercial real estate is at risk of damage from the ongoing wildfires, a figure that represents less than 1% of the total business inventory in Los Angeles but isn't without wide-reaching implications for the nation's most populous county.[2]

According to CoStar analysis, the commercial properties at risk — concentrated in the evacuation zones of the Palisades and Eaton fires — include some 7,400 multifamily units, seven million square feet of office space, and three million square feet of retail space. The damages are likely to translate into renewed demand for commercial real estate in other portions of the Los Angeles Basin, especially multifamily, as displaced residents seek immediate space. Entering 2025, multifamily vacancy rates in submarkets impacted by the fires ranged from 4.1% to 5.7%, suggesting many displaced households may have to look outside their communities for rentals.[3]

The fires will likely cause multifamily occupancy and rents to rise because of the sudden absence of inventory. The number of multifamily units in the fire zones represent roughly the same number of units that tenants rented in the Los Angeles market in an average year.[4]  Now a year's worth of net absorption could be potentially seeking multifamily space elsewhere if the evacuation areas continue to spread and tenants are forced to leave. There is a risk that government steps in and imposes stricter rent control measures in impacted areas. California has already enacted anti-price gouging measures that limit rent increases to 10%, but the potential for more onerous rules bear watching.

Massive Rebuild

When the last embers of the Los Angeles fires extinguish, the metropolitan area will embark on an unprecedented rebuilding effort. The significant volume of site clearing required following the full containment of both fires will mark a momentous first step in the recovery process.  Construction-related complications are likely to extend well beyond 2025, as the timeline for rebuilding after a major natural disaster can be lengthy. The total economic cost of the fires is likely to move higher as containment levels remain low and rebuilding efforts are expected to take many years. The financial burden of reconstruction will likely be shared among local and federal governments, insurers, and residents.

Insurance Fallout

Total economic losses include all costs to governments, residents and businesses, some of which will be covered by federal recovery aid. Other analysts have predicted that insured losses for personal property are likely to surpass $30 billion[5] – a tally that will translate to higher rates for Los Angeles commercial property owners and homeowners. As of the third quarter of 2024, the average quarterly insurance premium per apartment in Los Angeles County stood at $288, more than four times the recording from the same period five years prior.[6] Insurance costs only represent roughly 5% of multifamily expenses, but landlords could easily see insurance cost growth well into the double-digit range over the next two to three years.[7] Options for property coverage are also likely to continue to dwindle after seven of California’s top 12 insurers cut coverage in the state over the past four years.[8] Rising premiums and fewer providers will likely influence investment strategies and homebuying activity.