California landlords could be required to provide refrigerators and stoves under a proposed state law.
The new law is being proposed by South Bay lawmaker Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) under Assembly Bill 628 which was approved by the Assembly 54 to 10 during a vote held April 7.
“A working stove and a working refrigerator are not luxuries – they are a necessary part of modern life,” said Assemblymember Tina McKinnor. “By making these necessary appliances standard in rental homes, California can provide all of its residents with a safer, more affordable and more dignified place to call home.”
According to McKinnor’s office, California’s rental housing affordability crisis has been exacerbated by outdated laws that do not consider basic household appliances a necessary part of a rental home. While many landlords do include a working refrigerator and stove in a residential lease, a growing number of rental properties are not, creating significant financial burdens on tenants seeking an affordable and safe place to live.
California has some of the most expensive rental costs in the nation. According to Redfin, in April 2025 median rent in San Francisco is currently $3,417; median rent in Los Angeles is currently $3,285; median rent in San Diego is currently $3,116 and median rent in San Jose is currently $3,011. Requiring a tenant to purchase their own kitchen appliances (easily in excess of $1000) beyond the over $6000 required for typical move-in costs only further exacerbates California’s housing and homelessness crisis.
The bill initially called for landlords to provide stoves and fridges purchased within the last 10 years, but after pushback from the California Apartment Association, that was removed.
The bill will include some exemptions.
Permanent supportive housing, single-room occupancy, a unit in a residential hotel, and a dwelling unit within a housing facility that offers shared or communal kitchen spaces to its residents, like an assisted living facility, would be exempt from the bill.
Since being elected in 2022, McKinnor has introduced several bills to address housing affordability throughout the state.
AB 628 now heads to the State Senate for further action and if approved would go into effect Jan. 1, 2026.