Mandatory Stoves and Refrigerators Under AB 628

October, 2025

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill No. 628 (AB 628) into law, amending Civil Code section 1941.1 to expand the minimum habitability standards for residential rental units in California. This law will require most residential landlords to provide and maintain both a stove and a refrigerator in good working order.

Effective Date

AB 628 becomes effective January 1, 2026, and will apply only to leases entered into, amended, renewed, or extended on or after January 1, 2026.

New Landlord Obligations

Under AB 628, residential landlords must provide:

  • A stove that is maintained in good working order and capable of safely generating heat for cooking purposes.
  • A refrigerator that is maintained in good working order and capable of safely storing food.

A stove or refrigerator that is subject to a recall by the manufacturer or a public entity is deemed noncompliant. A landlord must repair or replace a stove or refrigerator that is subject to recall within 30 days of receiving notice of the recall.

Agreement for Tenant to Provide Refrigerator

A landlord and tenant may mutually agree, at the time of lease signing, that the tenant will provide and maintain the tenant’s own refrigerator, if all of the following conditions are satisfied:

  1. Required Lease Language: The lease contains a statement in substantially the following form: “Under state law, the landlord is required to provide a refrigerator in good working order in your unit. By checking this box, you acknowledge that you have asked to bring your own refrigerator and that you are responsible for keeping that refrigerator in working order.”
  2. Tenant’s Right to Change Election: The lease provides that the tenant may, with 30 days written notice, inform the landlord that they no longer wish to keep their own refrigerator in the unit, and that at the end of the 30-day notice period, the landlord shall install a refrigerator in good working order in the unit.
  3. No Condition of Tenancy: A landlord shall not condition a tenancy upon the tenant providing their own refrigerator.
  4. Maintenance Responsibility: The landlord is not responsible for the maintenance or repair of a refrigerator provided by the tenant.

Exemptions

The new appliance requirements do not apply to the following housing types:

  • Permanent supportive housing (as defined in Gov. Code § 8698.4(c)(2));
  • Single-room occupancy (SRO) units that provide living and sleeping space exclusively for the occupant, including those with shared kitchen facilities;
  • Units in residential hotels (as defined in Health & Safety Code § 50519(b)(1)); and
  • Dwelling units within housing facilities offering shared or communal kitchens, including assisted living facilities.

Energy Savings Assistance Programs

AB 628 does not prohibit a tenant or owner of rental properties from qualifying for a utility energy savings assistance program, or any other program assistance, for heating or hot water system repairs or replacement, or any combination thereof, that would achieve energy savings.

 A copy of the new law is available here:

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB628

For further information, please contact us at (949) 748-3600.

The law firm of Wallace, Richardson, Sontag & Le, LLP represents landlords, property management companies, institutional and private lenders, employers and insurance companies throughout the State of California in real estate, business and employment litigation. The information provided herein is for general interest only and should not be relied upon or construed as legal advice. This client alert is provided as a courtesy and is not meant to take the place of legislative services or membership in trade associations. Before acting, landlords should seek legal advice from this law firm.

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