Forty-three California counties now have emergency-related caps on rent increases due to the March storms.

Gov. Newsom declared a state of emergency in three additional California counties to support storm response and relief efforts on Tuesday, March 14. The affected counties are Alpine, Orange and Trinity.

The proclamation follows earlier storm-related emergencies declared in 40 other counties, including the following: Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Lake, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernadino, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sierra, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne and Yuba.

The governor’s emergency proclamation has again triggered Penal Code Section 396, the state’s anti-price gouging law. This law makes it illegal to increase the price of many consumer goods and services, including that of rental housing, by more than 10% above pre-emergency levels. The limits on rent increases apply to existing tenants and to rent increases at unit turnover.

The latest state of emergency and protections against price gouging are slated to expire April 11, 2023, but can be extended.

Anyone convicted of violating the statewide anti-price-gouging law can face a year in county jail, a fine of up to $10,000, or both, as well as civil penalties. Local ordinances may impose additional penalties.