Ordinance · August 28, 2026 · 2 min
A working stove and refrigerator
are now part of habitability.
For many leases signed, renewed, or changed in 2026, basic kitchen appliances are no longer optional. AB 628 moved the stove and the refrigerator into the habitability standard.
For years, many Los Angeles renters were told that providing a refrigerator was simply the tenant’s responsibility. California changed that rule in 2026. Under Assembly Bill 628, a rental covered by a lease entered into, amended, or extended on or after January 1, 2026, generally must include a working stove and refrigerator as part of the unit’s basic habitability standards.
Both appliances must work, and a recall does not count as working.
The stove must work and safely generate heat for cooking. The refrigerator must work and safely store food. An appliance subject to a manufacturer or government recall does not meet that standard, and the landlord must repair or replace a recalled stove or refrigerator within 30 days after receiving notice of the recall.
You may supply one, but it cannot be a condition of renting.
A tenant may still choose to use their own refrigerator, but only under a voluntary written agreement made when the lease is signed. The landlord cannot make the tenant’s refrigerator a condition of renting the unit. The lease must explain the tenant’s choice and must allow the tenant to give 30 days’ written notice that they no longer want to supply their own refrigerator. At the end of that notice period, the landlord must install a working refrigerator. The law does not create a similar opt-out for the stove.
Some housing is excluded, and older leases may not have rolled over.
Some housing is excluded, including certain permanent supportive housing, single-room occupancy units, residential hotels, and facilities with shared or communal kitchens. The new rule also does not automatically apply to an older lease that has not been entered into, amended, or extended since January 1, 2026. Coverage should therefore be checked before deciding what remedy is available.
Report it in writing, and get advice before self-help remedies.
If an appliance is missing or broken, report the problem in writing. Describe the defect, include photographs or video, keep copies of all communications, and preserve receipts for food loss or other expenses. In the City of Los Angeles, a housing inspector may issue a Notice to Comply, and continued noncompliance may lead to an administrative hearing, fines, or other enforcement. Tenants should obtain advice before withholding rent or using a repair-and-deduct remedy, because those remedies have separate legal requirements.
A broken refrigerator is no longer automatically “the tenant’s problem” under a covered lease. Tenant Protection Group LLP helps Los Angeles renters address serious repair failures and landlord pressure. This article provides general information, not legal advice.