JB Lindo in his kitchen in his apartment in Woodfin, December 3, 2024.
Los Angeles, California – The days of searching for an apartment in Los Angeles only to find it lacks a refrigerator could soon be over, thanks to a new bill in the California Legislature.
Introduced by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, a Democrat representing Inglewood, Assembly Bill 628 aims to require landlords to provide both stoves and refrigerators in rental units. If passed, the law would mandate that these appliances be included in leases for all apartments by January 1, 2026.
Fridges have long been an unexpected hurdle for renters in Southern California. Unlike many other urban areas, Los Angeles and Orange Counties are known for having a significantly lower rate of apartments equipped with refrigerators. In fact, according to a 2022 Los Angeles Times report, these two counties have the fewest units with fridges among major U.S. cities.
This lack of basic appliances has baffled many apartment hunters, especially those moving to the region from places where a refrigerator is standard. Sarah Fraser, a podcast host who relocated to L.A. from Washington, D.C., recalls the surprise of touring apartments only to find that half of them came without a fridge.
“I had no idea that it was a thing,” Fraser said. “You would walk into the unit and they were like, ‘Yeah, you’re responsible to get a refrigerator and then remove it when you leave.’ We were like, what?”
McKinnor, who represents areas where rent can range from $3,000 to $4,000 a month, believes it’s fair for landlords to provide basic appliances like stoves and refrigerators when tenants are already paying steep rent and security deposits.
“When we’re paying $6,000 to $8,000 to move in to rent an apartment, the landlords can provide the necessity of a stove and refrigerator,” McKinnor said in an interview with LAist.
While the bill aims to address the issue, it includes some compromises to make it more feasible for landlords. For instance, the original proposal that would have required appliances to be purchased within the last 10 years was removed due to concerns about environmental waste. Now, the bill only specifies that stoves and refrigerators must be in good working order and able to perform their intended functions.
However, not all housing types would be affected by the legislation. Certain units, including single-room occupancy, assisted living facilities, and properties with communal kitchens, are exempt from the requirement.
Renter advocates argue that asking tenants to buy and maintain essential kitchen appliances is unfair, especially for those on fixed incomes. Larry Gross, executive director of the Coalition for Economic Survival, emphasized that these appliances are a necessary part of a home and not just an amenity.
“The fact that a tenant would have to bring in a heavy refrigerator, up and down the corridors, you potentially would create challenges with damage to the walls,” said Debra Carlton, executive vice president of the California Apartment Association.
For many renters, an apartment without a fridge is a dealbreaker. Fraser, after seeing several units without refrigerators, ultimately chose an apartment in Culver City that provided one.
“I specifically only looked for buildings where they said there was a refrigerator in the unit,” she said.
