Do California Landlords Have To Provide Appliances in 2026?

For a California residential lease entered into, amended or extended on or after January 1, 2026, Civil Code section 1941.1 generally makes a working cooking stove and refrigerator part of the dwelling’s tenantability standard. The section includes specific housing exceptions and a narrow choice for a resident who wants to bring a refrigerator. An appliance inventory now belongs in the lease and unit-turn review, with the applicable lease date recorded.

Check the lease trigger and housing type

The stove and refrigerator provisions apply to a lease entered into, amended or extended on or after January 1, 2026. They do not automatically apply to every older lease that has had no amendment or extension. Other habitability duties and local requirements may still apply. Check the actual lease history before treating an old “bring your own fridge” practice as the current rule for a unit.

Section 1941.1(b) excludes permanent supportive housing as defined there, certain single-room occupancy units, units in a residential hotel, and dwellings within a facility that offers shared or communal kitchens, including a dwelling within an assisted living facility. It does not exempt all senior housing or every assisted living unit by name. Identify the unit and statutory category before recording an exception.

Handle a resident-owned refrigerator exactly

A resident may choose to provide and maintain a refrigerator if the resident and landlord mutually agree when the lease is signed. The lease must contain the acknowledgment in substantially the form specified by section 1941.1(a)(11)(B). The owner cannot make self-supply a condition of tenancy. The lease must also let the resident reverse that choice with 30 days’ written notice; at the end of that notice period, the landlord must install a working refrigerator. The landlord is not responsible for maintaining a refrigerator the resident supplied.

Example: A resident signing a covered lease asks to use their own refrigerator and the lease includes the required acknowledgment. Months later, the resident gives written notice that they no longer want to keep it in the unit. The team should record the notice date, confirm the installation deadline at the end of the 30-day period, arrange a suitable refrigerator and document delivery and testing. A generic appliance addendum without the statutory choice and reversal terms is not enough.

Record condition, recalls and repair response

At a turn or inspection, list each supplied stove and refrigerator by unit, make, model, serial number, age if known and observed condition. Keep dated photos, test results, work orders, invoices and warranty details with the unit record. Note the fuel type, electrical capacity, appliance dimensions and delivery path before ordering a replacement. A standard model can simplify parts and vendor coordination, but it must fit the unit and installation requirements.

A recalled stove or refrigerator is not treated as safely working under the section. Section 1941.1(c) requires repair or replacement within 30 days after the landlord receives notice of a manufacturer or public-entity recall, and it preserves remedies under section 1942. For other failures, record the report, assess the condition and arrange a timely repair or replacement; the recall deadline should not be presented as the sole response rule for a broken appliance.

Price the replacement from actual unit conditions

For a 2026 replacement decision, request a current installed price for the specific unit. Separate the equipment, delivery, haul-away, connection or electrical work, permit if required, tax, warranty terms and any temporary service plan. Compare a standard model with the unit’s space, resident needs and vendor lead time before approving a bulk order. Keep the quote and owner spending approval with the work order.

Update the lease and team handoff

The leasing record should identify the supplied appliances and the date the lease was entered into, amended or extended. If the resident elects to provide a refrigerator, preserve the signed statutory acknowledgment and the route for later written reversal. Leasing staff need the accurate unit listing; maintenance needs the model, condition and open work; office staff need the invoice, warranty and notice record. At a turn, verify that the installed appliance works before the unit is offered as ready.

Questions owners still ask

Are a dishwasher or microwave required by this appliance provision?

No. The new items in section 1941.1(a)(10) and (11) are a cooking stove and refrigerator. Other lease terms or local rules may create separate obligations.

Can an owner increase rent to recover appliance cost?

Installing an appliance does not create an automatic right to raise a current resident’s rent. Check the lease, applicable local rules, notice requirements and whether Civil Code section 1947.12 covers the unit before considering a change. The statewide cap and exemptions have property-specific conditions; a local ordinance may be more restrictive.

Is the 2026 rule separate from section 1941.1?

No. AB 628 amended section 1941.1 itself. The lease-date, resident-refrigerator and housing-exception language is in the current statute. For a different equipment question, Coastline’s gas heating and water-heater guide explains why air-district and building-code dates should be checked separately from this stove-and-refrigerator rule.

For an owner managing turns across multiple units, the immediate job is to reconcile lease dates and appliance records, then price any missing or failed equipment against the actual unit. Coastline’s management services include inspections and maintenance coordination. Multifamily owners considering a management review can request a Property Management Performance Review and identify appliance coordination as a priority.