AB 628: California Landlords Must Now Provide Stoves & Refrigerators

By Nathan Sewell | LA Building Inspections & Compliance | December 2025

For decades, California landlords weren’t legally required to provide stoves or refrigerators. Many did anyway—but not all. A 2022 LA Times investigation highlighted cases where tenants rented units without these basic appliances, often in lower-income neighborhoods.

That’s changing. Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 628 into law, and starting January 1, 2026, stoves and refrigerators are no longer optional amenities—they’re part of what makes a rental unit legally habitable.

The Bottom Line: For any lease entered into, renewed, or amended on or after January 1, 2026, your rental unit must include a working stove and a working refrigerator.

What Changed

AB 628 amends California Civil Code Section 1941.1, which defines the minimum standards for a habitable dwelling. Until now, that list included things like effective waterproofing, working plumbing, heating, and electrical systems—but not kitchen appliances.

Now, stoves and refrigerators join the list. They’re no longer amenities. They’re requirements.

Who Is Affected

This applies to all residential rental properties in California—apartments, single-family homes, duplexes, ADUs, and any other dwelling offered for rent. The key trigger is the lease date:

• New leases signed on or after January 1, 2026
• Existing leases renewed on or after January 1, 2026
• Existing leases amended on or after January 1, 2026

If you have a tenant on a month-to-month lease that continues unchanged, the law technically doesn’t require you to add appliances. But the moment you modify the lease terms or the tenant signs a new agreement, you’re on the hook.

Specific Requirements

Stove Requirements

• Must be maintained in good working order
• Must be capable of safely generating heat for cooking purposes
• No specific type required (gas, electric, or induction all qualify)

Refrigerator Requirements

• Must be maintained in good working order
• Must be capable of safely storing food at proper temperatures
• No minimum size specified

The 30-Day Recall Rule

AB 628 includes a specific provision about recalled appliances. If a stove or refrigerator in your rental unit is subject to a consumer product recall, you must:

• Repair the appliance according to the recall instructions, OR
• Replace the appliance entirely
• Complete either option within 30 days of receiving notice of the recall

This means you need a system for tracking recall notices. The Consumer Product Safety Commission maintains a searchable database at cpsc.gov.

When Tenants Can Provide Their Own

There’s one exception: tenants may provide their own refrigerator if they choose. But this must be:

• Documented in writing at the time of lease signing
• Include specific acknowledgment language stating the tenant voluntarily chooses to provide their own refrigerator
• Not coerced or presented as the only option

Note: This exception applies only to refrigerators, not stoves. You cannot ask a tenant to provide their own stove.

Properties That Are Exempt

AB 628 carves out a few specific property types:

• Permanent supportive housing
• Single-room occupancy (SRO) units with shared cooking facilities
• Residential hotels with shared cooking facilities
• Transitional housing
• Supportive housing

If your property falls into one of these categories, you’re not required to provide individual stoves and refrigerators—though shared cooking facilities must still be available.

What Non-Compliance Looks Like

Under California law, a unit that lacks required habitability features can trigger:

• Rent withholding by tenants
• Repair-and-deduct remedies (tenant pays for appliance, deducts from rent)
• Lease termination without penalty
• Civil lawsuits for breach of habitability
• Potential code enforcement action if reported to local housing authorities

The cost of a refrigerator and stove is almost certainly less than the cost of any of these outcomes.

Landlord Action Checklist

• Inventory all rental units: Do they currently have stoves and refrigerators?
• Identify any units missing appliances that will need them before lease renewals
• Budget for appliance purchases where needed
• Set up a recall tracking system (sign up for CPSC alerts)
• Update lease templates to include appliance acknowledgments
• Document the condition of existing appliances with photos
• Create a maintenance schedule for appliance inspection

The Bottom Line

AB 628 isn’t complicated. If you already provide stoves and refrigerators—which most landlords do—you’re probably fine. Just make sure they work, document their condition, and track any recalls.

If you’ve been renting units without these appliances, now is the time to fix that. January 1, 2026 isn’t far away.

About LA Building Inspections & Compliance

We help LA landlords navigate compliance requirements including RHHP inspections, SB-721 balcony inspections, and habitability assessments. Questions? Contact us at (626) 214-5929 or nathan@larentalinspections.com.