According to an analysis by Zillow Data, rents near the Bourne area were faster than elsewhere in Los Angeles County after firing through the Pacific Palisades and Altadna.

According to the analysis, in the zip code within three miles of the Palisade fire, rents rose 4.8% from December to April. Within three miles of the Eaton Fire that destroyed Altadena, rents jumped 5.2%.

In the zip code in Los Angeles County, three miles away from the burning area, the gain is smaller - 2.2%.

Experts say rents may increase, but as thousands of homes are destroyed and displaced residents want to stay where they build their lives, it may climb faster near the fire, causing a surge in demand in the already-promising housing market.

"It didn't surprise me," said Nicole Lambrou, a professor of urban planning at Cal Poly Pomona. "You are approaching your location because that's your community."

In the weeks after the flames, there have been extensive reports of illegal fraud by landlords, even raising rents to more than 50%. However, there has been debate on how the pervasive and long-term fire impacts have led to different responses from different government agencies.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed eviction protections for many tenants affected by the fire economy in February, but the Los Angeles City Council refused to take similar measures for fear that they would hurt the landlord.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has not yet rented apartments for displaced resellers as a result of a similar disaster, and said data suggests that there is enough housing available.

For analysis, the New York Times looked at Zillow rental data at the zip code, apartment and apartment zip code levels and compared average rents since December (a month before the fire) to April.

As seasonal trends tend to push up rents in those months, the times also compared changes to previous years and found that rents have increased more in recent times - both in areas near the fire and farther away.

Housing and disaster recovery experts say displacement could at least result in higher rents in areas more than three miles from the disaster area, as not everyone can or wants to find housing nearby.

However, the biggest impact appears to be the areas closest to the burning zone, with rents climbing about 5% since December.

The neighborhoods included in the postal code near Malibu, Santa Monica and Westwood. Postal codes near Altadena include Pasadena, Arcadia and Monrovia.

Rents have also been faster in those areas over the past few years compared to other parts of the county, but the gap has increased, experts say this may be the cause of the fire.

Daniel Teles, a housing researcher at the Urban Institute think tank, said the impact on tenants depends on their own financial situation.

“For a lot of people, it’s just a few percentage points, but there are a lot of people who can hardly pay rent as is,” he said. “For them, there are a few percentage points that are the difference between whether they pay all the bills that month.”

Lambrou said the Times findings are consistent with other research, including how her own impact on the disaster affects housing costs. She doesn't want rents to drop as recovery progresses, but says that shouldn't get worse, as the fire should be a new demand for one-time injections.

"We won't see the price of rent rising," she said.

The degree to which rents are stable near the fire depends on how fast new homes are built and people still in hotels or other short-term options, and will soon be looking for rent in tight markets.

"If people who still have transitional housing … can continue to work," he said.

Gladys Clark, a 72-year-old retired teacher, has been dragging on her search for permanent housing for months.

Since losing a home in Altadena for about three decades, the couple bounced between several hotels and moved into Airbnb in Monrovia.

Clark said they wanted to leave memories of years with five children, 21 grandchildren and a great-grandson, and asked about about 30 homes near Altardner. The landlord agreed to raise $300 for one of the people they quit.

Then, Clark said one of her daughter’s clients long-term helping to rent a house in Altadena. They plan to leave Airbnb and move this weekend, ideally until the Grandeur Avenue home is rebuilt.

"It's a very difficult time," Clark said. "I have to give him glory."