California’s New 2026 Stove and Refrigerator Law: What Los Angeles Landlords Need to Know

For years, many Los Angeles landlords rented apartments without refrigerators and expected tenants to bring their own.

That practice changed significantly in 2026.

Under California Assembly Bill 628, rental agreements entered into, amended or extended on or after January 1, 2026 generally must include a working stove and refrigerator for the dwelling to be considered tenantable.

For Los Angeles rental owners, this is an important change to account for when preparing a vacant unit, renewing a lease or budgeting for property maintenance.

What does the new California law require?

For covered residential rental units, the landlord is generally responsible for providing:

A stove that is maintained in good working order and capable of safely generating heat for cooking.

A refrigerator that is maintained in good working order and capable of safely storing food.

The law applies to rental agreements entered into, amended or extended on or after January 1, 2026.

That means landlords should not simply rely on the way a property has historically been rented. If a unit previously did not include a refrigerator, the applicable lease and circumstances should be reviewed before the next leasing or renewal cycle.

What happens if an appliance is recalled?

The law also addresses safety recalls.

If a landlord receives notice that a supplied stove or refrigerator has been recalled by the manufacturer or a public entity, the landlord generally must repair or replace that appliance within 30 days.

This makes appliance tracking more important than it may have been in the past.

For professionally managed properties, it is useful to maintain records showing which appliances are installed in each unit, when they were purchased and whether there are outstanding recalls.

Can a tenant still bring their own refrigerator?

Yes.

When the lease is signed, the landlord and tenant may agree that the tenant will provide and maintain their own refrigerator. The lease must include the acknowledgment required by California law confirming that the landlord ordinarily must provide a working refrigerator and that the tenant voluntarily asked to bring their own and is responsible for maintaining it.

The lease must also state that the tenant may give 30 days’ written notice that they no longer wish to keep their own refrigerator. By the end of that notice period, the landlord must install a refrigerator in good working order.

A landlord cannot require a tenant to provide a refrigerator as a condition of renting the unit.

Are there exceptions?

Yes.

The state identifies several types of housing that are not subject to the stove-and-refrigerator requirement, including certain permanent supportive housing, single-room occupancy properties, residential hotels and facilities where residents have access to shared kitchens.

Owners of unusual housing types should verify whether an exception actually applies rather than assuming it does.

What Los Angeles landlords should do before the next lease

For most conventional Los Angeles apartments and rental homes, the practical steps are straightforward.

Before advertising a vacancy, confirm that the unit has a safe and operational stove and refrigerator.

Check both appliances during the move-in inspection and document their condition.

Make sure the lease does not contain outdated language saying the tenant is automatically responsible for supplying a refrigerator.

Keep appliance receipts, model information and maintenance records with the property file.

If a tenant wants to provide their own refrigerator, make sure the lease language complies with the new requirements rather than relying on a verbal agreement.

Finally, make sure your leasing staff and property manager know about the rule. A perfectly renovated vacant unit can still create problems if the lease paperwork or appliance setup is based on an old practice.

Why this matters in the current Los Angeles rental market

Los Angeles landlords are operating in a market where pricing and presentation both matter.

Zillow reported a typical Los Angeles metro asking rent of $2,941 in August 2026, only 1.6% higher than a year earlier. Los Angeles also remains one of the least affordable large rental markets in the country, with the typical new rental consuming about 34% of median household income.

In that environment, avoidable leasing delays matter.

An owner may spend significant time analyzing whether to ask another $100 or $200 per month while overlooking something much simpler: whether the property is actually ready to lease under current California requirements.

Good leasing is not just about advertising a unit. It includes preparing the property correctly, pricing it realistically, processing applicants efficiently, using the correct lease documents and completing the move-in properly.

The takeaway

If your Los Angeles rental has historically been leased without appliances, do not assume the old setup still works.

California changed the rules in 2026, and most landlords entering into, amending or extending residential leases now need to account for working stoves and refrigerators.

Owners should review their lease documents, vacancy preparation procedures and appliance records before the next tenancy or renewal.

The Robb Group provides leasing and full-service property management throughout Los Angeles. If you would like help preparing, leasing or managing a rental property, contact our team at TRGPM.com.

This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Laws may change and individual properties or tenancies may be subject to additional requirements.

Source: California Legislature, Assembly Bill 628.

Highlight that line, click the chain-link icon, and use this destination: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB628