California landlords must now supply a stove and fridge, or your unit is legally unlivable

California renters get a new guarantee

Starting Jan. 1, 2026, California landlords must provide a working stove and refrigerator in most rental units. Assembly Bill 628 adds both appliances to the state’s legal definition of a livable home.

The law changes Civil Code Section 1941.1, which already required basics like running water, heat, and plumbing. Before this law, stoves and fridges were considered optional under state law.

Now, a rental without them can be declared uninhabitable.

One lawmaker pushed this bill through

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, a Democrat from Inglewood, introduced AB 628 in early 2025. Her district sees monthly rents ranging from about $3,000 to $4,000.

The bill cleared the Assembly 45-13 and the Senate 25-11. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it on Oct. 6, 2025.

AB 628 was part of a larger package of bills aimed at cutting costs for California families.

Southern California had the worst record

California had fewer apartments with refrigerators than any other state, according to a 2022 Los Angeles Times report cited in the bill proposal.

Los Angeles and Orange counties ranked lowest among large U.S. metro areas for fridge-equipped rentals.

Renters moving to Los Angeles from other parts of the country were often shocked to find bare kitchens after signing a lease. The no-fridge rental had been a quirk of the Southern California market for decades.

How an odd habit took hold in LA

California never required landlords to provide fridges, and many in Los Angeles simply chose not to. The more landlords skipped the appliance, the more it became a normal market practice.

Landlords managing dozens or hundreds of units avoided the cost of buying and maintaining them.

That left tenants buying their own, hauling them from apartment to apartment, or hoping a previous renter left one behind.

Tenant advocates said it placed an unfair financial burden on people already paying thousands to move in.

Landlords must meet specific appliance rules

The law requires landlords to provide a stove in good working order that can safely generate heat for cooking, along with a refrigerator that can safely store food.

Both appliances must be provided for all leases entered into, renewed, or amended on or after Jan. 1, 2026. Existing month-to-month leases without changes are not immediately affected.

But once a lease renews or gets amended, the appliance requirement kicks in automatically.

Recalled appliances get a 30-day deadline

If a stove or refrigerator is subject to a manufacturer or government recall, the landlord must repair or replace it within 30 days of getting notice. This 30-day deadline covers recalled appliances only.

For standard breakdowns or wear and tear, California’s usual habitability rules apply, which require action within a reasonable time.

Tenants should not read this as a general 30-day repair guarantee, because the law does not create one.

Tenants can opt out of the fridge rule

Tenants may choose to provide and maintain their own refrigerator, but only if both parties agree in writing when the lease is signed.

The lease must include a statement explaining that the landlord is required by law to supply a fridge and that the tenant is choosing to bring their own. Landlords cannot force tenants to opt out.

If a tenant changes their mind later, 30 days of written notice puts the responsibility back on the landlord. There is no opt-out for stoves.

Some housing types are exempt from the law

Not every rental falls under AB 628. Permanent supportive housing, single-room occupancy units with shared cooking facilities, residential hotels, and assisted living facilities with communal kitchens are all exempt.

Every other residential rental, including single-family homes, apartments, condos, duplexes, and townhomes, falls under the new rules.

If a property does not fit one of those specific exemptions, the landlord must provide both appliances.

Landlord groups pushed back and got changes

The original version of AB 628 would have required landlords to replace stoves and refrigerators every 10 years, even if the appliances still worked.

The California Apartment Association pushed back and secured amendments removing that rule. The final law only requires appliances to be in good working order, with no age limit attached.

The California Association of Realtors opposed the bill entirely, arguing it would increase litigation and potentially shrink the state’s rental housing supply.

Tenants have options if a landlord ignores the law

In Los Angeles, tenants can file a complaint with the city’s housing department.

Under existing California law, renters may also use repair-and-deduct remedies if a landlord fails to keep a unit habitable. Tenants can withhold rent or file habitability claims in court.

Enforcement of AB 628 falls to local governments, so the process varies by city.

Tenants who believe their landlord is not complying should document the issue in writing and reach out to a local tenant advocacy group or legal aid organization.

A basic change with real costs on both sides

For renters, AB 628 guarantees two basic tools for storing and preparing food as part of any standard lease. For landlords, it means budgeting for appliance purchases in units that previously had none.

The Coalition for Economic Survival, a Los Angeles tenant advocacy group, had called the out-of-pocket cost of buying a refrigerator economically out of reach for many renters.

The law does not cover every situation, and enforcement varies by city, but it closes a gap that hit some of California’s most cost-burdened renters hardest.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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