Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It's Sunday. I'm your host, Andrew J. Campa. Here's what you need to know:
California landlords may have to pay for refrigerators, stoves in rentals
Southern California renters often have a few basic items to secure before moving into a unit.
They generally need to provide first and last month's rent along with a security deposit. Two of the less-talked about items, however, are refrigerators and stoves, which are not considered necessities by the state.
Many landlords do not offer the appliances to incoming renters, passing on the direct cost to their tenants.
That arrangement may be changing in California, due to legislation being proposed in Sacramento.
My colleague Karen Garcia broke down the proposed bill and what its passage would mean.
Why don't landlords currently provide refrigerators?
Simply put, there is no requirement.
California law requires any building with a dwelling unit to maintain "certain characteristics in order to be tenantable." That means landlords are on the hook for adequate heating and hot water systems.
Legally, fridges and stoves are classified as amenities and considered nonessential.
That language has made California an outlier. A 2022 Times analysis shows that the number of residents who entered into new leases without fridges and stoves is much higher in California than in any other state.
What does the added cost mean?
The average monthly rent in the city of Los Angeles is $2,347, higher than the national average of $1,995, according to Zillow.
First and last month's rent plus a security deposit can force a new renter to have ready several thousands of dollars just to move in. And much more in wealthier parts of the county, where average rents hover near $4,000 — places like Ladera Heights and Larchmont Village.
If they don't come with a fridge, plan to fork out another $600 to $2,300 for a new one, product analysts say, or plunge into the underground fridge market for a used one.
Assembly Bill 628 would put landlords in charge of buying and repairing the appliances
Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Hawthorne), whose 61st District covers communities from Inglewood to Marina del Rey, introduced AB 628 to make refrigerators and stoves required appliances, not amenities. If passed, landlords would have to provide them starting Jan. 1, 2026.
"We know that people are really struggling out there with the high cost of food, gas, household goods, and on top of that, lots of people spend more than half their income on rent," she said.
Ultimately, McKinnor wants renters to have one less payment to think about when entering a new lease.
She said the landlord will be in charge of fixing or replacing a refrigerator and stove, as are now with heaters.
Would the new requirement hike up rental prices?
In Los Angeles apartments subject to the Rent Stabilization Ordinance, landlords can only increase the rent once every 12 months by a limited percentage.
There are exceptions to the RSO, though, which include single-family homes, affordable housing, luxury housing units exempted by the Los Angeles Housing Department, rentals built after Oct. 1, 1978, and units in commercial buildings that converted to housing after Oct. 1, 1978.
What's its future?
The bill is currently being read and amended. It will need to pass both the Assembly and Senate before potentially being signed by the governor in the fall.
For more on the bill, read the full story here.
The week's biggest stories
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Column One
Column One is The Times' home for narrative and long-form journalism. Here's a great piece from this past week:
(David Fouts / For The Times)
There were no vacancies beneath the old neon Farm House Motel sign last Saturday — no guest rooms at all, in fact. But the 1950s Riverside property, now known as the Farm House Collective, was busier than it has been for decades. By 10 a.m., when a ribbon-cutting marked the Farm House's rebirth as a mini-mall, food hall and music venue, the parking lot was full.
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For your weekend
(Illustrations by Lindsey Made This; photograph by Rodin Eckenroth / FilmMagic)
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L.A. Affairs
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She lost her home in the devastating fire that struck Pacific Palisades. She, her daughter and her husband bounced around from hotels to Airbnbs and air mattress. Finally, they found a short-term lease after five weeks, but the damage had been done. Her husband said he needed a break from the chaos, from the drama and from his wife, which sent her into a downward spiral. Would she recover and save her marriage, or will the blaze claim one more casualty?
Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team
Andrew J. Campa, reporter
Joe Mozingo, deputy editor
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