Before you get a loan to rebuild your house, speak with several lenders to determine which one offers the best interest rates and the lowest fees. Also, before getting a loan from a private lender, check to see if you qualify for any government assistance programs, such as FEMA, Small Business Administration, and Housing and Urban Development programs, or assistance from the state of California. Be on the lookout for “guaranteed loans” (where a person contacts you and guarantees you an “offer” of a loan regardless of your credit situation in exchange for an upfront fee). Legitimate lenders do not guarantee that you will qualify for a loan before you complete an application, and the lender runs a credit check. Legitimate lenders may charge a small application fee, but they do not promise that you will get the loan until they complete their review. Make sure that you are dealing with a licensed lender and that you understand the terms of any loan that you are offered. The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation licenses most lenders, and you should check with that Department to determine whether the lender is legitimate; the Department can be reached at (866) 275-2677 or online at https://dfpi.ca.gov/.
Problems with home repair contractors, such as abandonment and shoddy work, are common, especially after disasters. Watch out for door-to-door offers of repair services and never provide a contractor with a cash deposit based on a handshake. Beware of contractors offering victims tablets or other devices to “check” for eligibility. You should get a written contract detailing every aspect of the work to be done and the cost of completion, as well as a performance and payment schedule. The down payment should not exceed $1,000 or 10% of the contract amount, whichever amount is smaller. Before signing a contract, consider whether you should consult an attorney to help you review and understand the contract, and be sure to check the contractor’s license status and references. You can easily check licenses online on the California Contractor State License Board (CSLB) website at https://www2.cslb.ca.gov/onlineservices/CheckLicenseII/checklicense.aspx. You can file complaints online at http://www.cslb.ca.gov/Consumers/Filing_A_Complaint/. The CSLB has a hotline where disaster survivors can obtain more information: (800) 962-1125 (Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.). Take photos of the condition of your property before, during (if you can safely do so), and after any home repair.
The Federal Trade Commission website also has a helpful article outlining the steps for finding and hiring a contractor and spotting scams: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0242-hiring-contractor.
A public insurance adjuster is someone who evaluates property loss on behalf of policyholders and helps them file insurance claims in exchange for a fee or a percentage of your claim. Many public insurance adjusters will claim they can maximize your insurance benefits by finding damage that an insurance company adjuster may not find, but it is important to note that your insurance company may provide an independent insurance adjuster to you at no charge, so you may not need the services of a public adjuster. If you use the insurance company’s adjuster and then are not confident in his or her findings, you still have the right to hire a public adjuster to help you. Before you hire a public adjuster, be sure you understand the fee to be charged and how it will be calculated. It is always a good idea to rely on referrals to determine which public adjusters are legitimate. If you do hire a public adjuster, it is important to make sure beforehand that he or she is licensed. Call the California Department of Insurance (CDI) at (800) 927-4357 or visit the CDI’s website at https://www.insurance.ca.gov/. Click on “Consumers” and then “Check License Status” on the right sidebar for licensing verification and other information regarding public adjusters.
California Senate Bill No.610 was passed in October 2025 and created new disaster-related protections for California tenants. The bill includes coverage for residential and mobile home tenants. When a mandatory evacuation order is in effect due to a disaster, a tenant’s obligation to pay rent is discharged for the evacuation period. If the rent was prepaid for that period, the landlord must refund it within 10 calendar days after the order is lifted, or that amount may be deducted from the next month’s rent. Further, landlords have a duty to remediate disaster impacts, such as removing debris and mitigating hazards such as mold, smoke, water damage, etc. Unless the tenancy is lawfully terminated, the tenancy continues and the tenant has the right to return to the unit as soon as it is safe and practicable, at the same rental rate in effect immediately before the disaster.
You can obtain more information about tenant rights by consulting the Tenant Power Toolkit website at https://tenantpowertoolkit.org. The Tenant Power Toolkit is a free public service that provides resources related to tenant rights, evictions, and rent debt.
For tenants in Los Angeles County, you can obtain more information about tenant rights by consulting Stay Housed LA’s website at https://www.stayhousedla.org or calling their hotline at (888) 694-0040. Stay Housed LA is a collaboration between the County of LA, the City of LA, legal service providers, and community-based organizations that cover residents of Los Angeles County (from Lancaster to Long Beach) and provides help related to tenants’ rights.
After the government declares a state of emergency, it is illegal for businesses to increase the cost of certain goods by more than 10%, unless they can prove the increase was based on an increase in their suppliers’ price or directly attributable to additional costs for labor or materials to provide the services. The illegal increase in cost of certain goods is called price gouging. The prohibition on price gouging applies to: food, emergency and medical supplies, gasoline, repairs, housing (including hotel rooms), transportation, housing rent increases and reconstruction. The prohibition generally extends for 30 days after a declaration of emergency, although for reconstruction services and emergency cleanup services, the ban is extended for 180 days. See https://dcba.lacounty.gov/portfolio/price-gouging/ for more information.
After a declared emergency, renters are protected from rental housing price gouging and unfair rent hikes. California state law prohibits rental housing price increases exceeding 10% during a declared state of emergency. Rent increase rules also apply to daily rental housing, such as Airbnb listings. Further, a landlord cannot justify an unlawful price increase by offering additional services like gardening, cleaning, or utilities, or by offering a shorter lease term. Landlords cannot charge a higher rate simply because an insurance company is willing to pay it. The law considers it a separate misdemeanor for a landlord to evict a tenant and re-rent the property at a rate prohibited by anti-price gouging statutes.
Declaration of a state of emergency by the president and/or governor of California activates the prohibition against price gouging discussed above. If you suspect price gouging, contact your local District Attorney or the California Attorney General’s Office at (800) 952-5225, or report it online at https://oag.ca.gov/report. You should also report it to the DCBA at https://dcba.lacounty.gov/portfolio/price-gouging/. You can also refer to the FAQs about price gouging during disasters on the California Attorney General’s website at https://oag.ca.gov/consumers/pricegougingduringdisasters.
Although the decision whether to consolidate loans or transfer loans to a new finance company depends on your particular situation and the terms offered, you should be aware that some financial companies may try to take advantage of your situation in the wake of a disaster. Because of the disaster, you may not be able to pay your creditors on time, and finance companies may contact you promising to consolidate your home mortgage, credit card debt, car loans, and repair loans, claiming consolidation will lower your monthly payments and give you more time to pay the debt. It is a good idea to check with your existing lenders or financial institutions about accommodating your situation due to disaster. They may be willing to agree to postpone payments due and waive interest charges or otherwise agree to a modified payment schedule. If you decide to deal with a new lender or refinancing company, be aware that these companies may try to pressure you to sign loan agreements without giving you a chance to review the documents or consult with another person or an attorney. Don’t let them do so. In many instances, these refinancings result in high fees and interest rates and payments to bogus creditors, and they can cost you significantly more over time and damage your credit rating. You should carefully review the terms of any refinancing, make sure that the company you are dealing with is legitimate and licensed, and check referrals from previous customers. If you can, have an attorney review the documents and provide advice. Do not agree to any refinancing or consolidation in a hurry.
Creditors are not required to let you know that they are referring your account to a collection agency, but you have certain legal rights to protect you from harassment by a collection agency. For example, debt collectors may call only between 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. (They can, however, contact your employer for certain information, as well as contact you at your work, unless they know you are not allowed to receive calls at work.) Debt collectors cannot use obscene or profane language or make threats to harm you or your property. There is no law limiting the number of calls that an agency can make but repeated calls over a short period of time are prohibited if they constitute harassment. It is also the consumer’s right to send a no-contact letter through https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/how-do-i-get-a-debt-collector-to-stop-contacting-me-en-1411/.
You can obtain more information about your rights with regard to collection agencies by consulting the California Attorney General’s website at http://oag.ca.gov. On the Home screen, under About, “What We Do,” choose the topic “Consumer Protection.” The topic of “Debt Collectors” is in the list at the bottom of the page. You can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission online at https://ReportFraud.ftc.gov or by telephone at (877) FTC-HELP / (877) 382-4357 (TTY (866) 653-4261).
Identity thieves steal personal information and use it to obtain credit cards, loans, or bank accounts in other people’s names. When the bills are not paid, the victims may or may not be held responsible for some or all of the charges.
Identity theft can happen anytime, including after a disaster, because people are often required to evacuate in a hurry (leaving their homes and information exposed) or exercise less care in giving out information amidst the confusion and concern caused by the disaster. In trying to reestablish their lives, those affected by disasters can make their personal information vulnerable, especially when it gets communicated over the internet. Identity thieves may pose as authority figures to try to steal personal information, and they may even impersonate disaster victims to try to obtain checks or other emergency services. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has reported that, in the wake of previous natural disasters, scam artists posed as FEMA inspectors asking for personal information or trying to charge for services, such as damage inspections or contractor repairs.
You should never give your complete Social Security number, bank account number, or credit card information to anyone unless you are certain the person is actually a representative of a legitimate organization. If you have any doubt, check with the organization, and do not rely on the person’s word. Federal and state workers do not ask for or accept money. FEMA staff do not charge applicants for disaster assistance, home inspections, or help with filling out applications. All FEMA representatives carry laminated photo IDs.
If you believe that you are a victim of identity theft, you should:
(1) contact the fraud department of one of the three major credit reporting companies to request a free (and renewable) 90-day fraud alert; you can call Experian at (888) 397-3742, Equifax at (888) 378-4329, or TransUnion at (800) 680-7289; once you ask one of three credit reporting companies for a fraud alert, they must tell the other two companies;
(2) consider contacting your local police to report the identity theft; if you do file a police report, be sure to obtain a copy of the police report and forms to use to request account information from creditors (an alternative to a police report is an FTC report);
(3) fill out an identity theft report at www.identitytheft.gov; and
(4) contact your creditors to request information about the fraudulent accounts, close accounts that have been used fraudulently, request for credit freezes, and have the creditor report to the credit bureaus that they have been “closed at consumer’s request.”
You can use the police report and identity theft report to help prove that you were the victim of identity theft. For more information, visit the California Attorney General’s website at www.oag.ca.gov/idtheft and FEMA’s website at www.fema.gov/about/offices/security/disaster-fraud.
In the wake of other recent disasters, some individuals have applied for FEMA help using identities that are not their own. If you learn someone has used your identity to apply for FEMA assistance, a FEMA representative can help you file a new application and will provide information for you to file a complaint. (If you decide not to file an application, the representative will confirm you do not want to access FEMA benefits.)
To report fraud or abuse of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) programs and employees, you should also contact the DHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) at (800) 323-8603 (TTY (844) 889-4357). You can file a complaint online at https://hotline.oig.dhs.gov/#step-1, or mail a complaint to DHS Office of Inspector General/Mail Stop 0305, Attention: Hotline, 245 Murray Lane SW, Washington, D.C. 20528-0305.
In addition, those with information related to FEMA fraud can call FEMA’s Office of the Chief Security Officer (OCSC) tip line at (866) 223-0814 or email FEMA-OCSO-Tipline@fema.dhs.gov. If you suspect suspicious activity or fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline by phone at (866) 720-5721 or file a complaint at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
In general, when hiring or contracting with anyone, you should:
(1) verify that the company or person is licensed with the appropriate regulatory agencies if the company or person’s industry is subject to state or local licensing;
(2) obtain several estimates of the cost of the service to be performed from different sources so that you know whether you are getting a fair price;
(3) obtain all estimates in writing;
(4) ask for references, including contact information, so that you can speak directly with prior customers to determine whether they are satisfied;
(5) ask for identification when individuals show up at your home in order to verify that they are who they say they are;
(6) carefully read and be sure you thoroughly understand all contracts and service agreements before signing; and
(7) file complaints with the appropriate regulatory agencies if confronted with potential fraud or abuse.
When hiring an unfamiliar moving company, you should:
(1) ask for and review customer references before contracting for services;
(2) make sure the mover is licensed, insured, and in good standing with the Bureau of Household Goods and Services;
(3) get an estimate in writing of the cost of the move (after inspection of the goods to be moved) and how long it will take (a written cost estimate is binding, but oral or internet estimates are not) in advance;
(4) know that the moving company must provide a “not to exceed” price for all household moves in an agreement for moving services; and
(5) make sure you understand the moving company’s insurance limits and consider whether you should purchase additional insurance. Take photos of your property before allowing it to be moved.
More information, including how to verify a moving company is licensed, how to file a claim for loss or damages, and several consumer-protection resources, is available online at https://oag.ca.gov/consumers/general/moving and https://bhgs.dca.ca.gov/consumers/movers.shtml.
You can also call (916) 999-2041 to check if a mover is licensed. You can file a complaint against a moving company by following the instructions at https://bhgs.dca.ca.gov/consumers/index.shtml. Loss or damages claims must be filed in writing within nine months after your goods have been delivered.
If you can, get a referral from a trusted source. If you do not have a trusted friend or family member who can refer you to an attorney, you can talk to a local lawyer referral service certified by the State Bar of California. To obtain a full listing of the State Bar-certified Lawyer Referral Services Directory, you can call the State Bar lawyer referral services at (800) 843-9053 (in California) or (415) 538-2250 (outside California) or look them up on the internet at www.calbar.ca.gov/lrs.
You may want to review the State Bar’s consumer legal guides, “Before Selecting an Attorney” and “Resolving Problems,” located online at www.calbar.ca.gov. Click the “Public” link, and then the “Legal Guides” link. You can also find additional information on finding free legal help by clicking the “Free Legal Information” link on the “Legal Guides” page. You should look up the attorney on the state bar website to check if they have been subject to disciplinary action. When hiring an attorney, make sure to read and fully understand your retainer and be wary of any attorney soliciting you. You should not rush into getting an attorney.
To file a complaint against an attorney, contact the State Bar of California at (800) 843-9053 or visit its website at www.calbar.ca.gov and click on the “How to file an attorney misconduct complaint” link.
