A New Law Will Save Renters In California From Having To Buy These Appliances

Starting in January 2026, California renters can breathe a little easier when it comes to furnishing their kitchens. A new law was recently signed into effect by Governor Gavin Newsom, requiring landlords to provide tenants with a working stove and refrigerator. For anyone who's ever moved into a "fully furnished" apartment only to discover the mini-fridge doesn't work or the oven door falls off completely if you don't open it just right, the new law can amount to major savings both in terms of having to buy these appliances and, perhaps worse, having to move them into your new place.

California landlords have long been legally required to provide heat, water, and plumbing, which are typically considered essential parts of a rental unit's habitability. But according to Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, who sponsored the recently passed bill, California renters deserve more. "A working stove and a working refrigerator are not luxuries," McKinnor said in a press release. "They are a necessary part of modern life." She went on to describe the basic kitchen appliances as necessary components of providing residents with safe, affordable, and dignified homes.

Forgetting to budget hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars for appliances is among the mistakes everyone makes when renting an apartment. But starting next year, California renters won't have to deal with shady Facebook Marketplace listings or the hassle of big-box store deliveries since all new and amended rental leases will mandate that landlords provide the two kitchen appliances. Under the new law, both must be kept in good working order and repaired or replaced within 30 days if subject to a recall.

California is ahead of the curve nationally when it comes to defining these appliances as legal essentials to benefit renters. In essence, the state has elevated both stoves and refrigerators from being considered amenities. Whether or not you should provide appliances to tenants is one of the things to consider before becoming a landlord, but you're unlikely to find similar mandates elsewhere. 

Most states' habitability laws generally require working plumbing, heat, and safe structures, but according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, over 16% of all rental units in America have at least one habitability problem. Even in states like Georgia, which established a "Safe at Home" law in 2024, the issue of what actually constitutes habitability is hotly contested. Landlord responsibilities for appliances generally come down to what your lease says, not what any law demands. If landlords provide appliances, typically they're required to keep them in working order as a term of the lease. But unless you're renting in California, there's no legal requirement that your unit must come with a working stove or fridge at all, meaning you may be stuck buying, transporting, and maintaining your own.

California's new law saves renters from having to buy these appliances, but it also underscores an important movement recognizing that rental properties aren't truly livable unless tenants can cook and store their food safely. Millions of renters already struggle with food insecurity. Relieving them of the financial burden of appliance purchases can help. The law also sets a precedent for other states by raising the bar on what habitability could, and should, mean nationwide.