Why insurance matters to renters, landlords and California

A year and a half after the Eaton Fire, Pasadena renter Gil Barel still can't move back into her smoke-damaged apartment. Testing she ordered found toxic heavy metals in the unit, and she's now waiting on further testing her landlord must complete under a new California law. CalMatters reports her renters insurance has paid several thousand dollars toward relocation costs and belongings, but with about forty-four percent of Californians renting, her situation highlights how insurance availability and claims handling ripple into rents and housing supply statewide. Voters will pick the state's next insurance commissioner in November, a race tied directly to how the market recovers from last year's Los Angeles County fires.

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