AB 628: Refrigerator & Stove Requirements

California rental housing laws continue to evolve, and California Assembly Bill 628 is one that Ventura County property owners should clearly understand.

AB 628 addresses a long-standing gray area in California rental housing: Whether a refrigerator must be provided by the landlord.

Historically in Ventura County — particularly in single-family homes and smaller multifamily properties — tenants often supplied their own refrigerators. That informal practice is no longer automatically acceptable without proper documentation.

What AB 628 Requires

Under AB 628, residential rental units must include the following to be habitable:

• A working stove or range
• A working refrigerator

These appliances must be provided by the landlord unless there is a mutual written agreement allowing the tenant to provide their own refrigerator in the Rental Agreement.

Does This Apply to All Properties?

AB 628 applies to all rental properties with the exception of:

• Permanent supportive housing
• A single-room occupancy
• A unit in a residential hotel
• A dwelling within a housing facility that offers shared kitchen spaces
  

Does This Apply to Existing Tenancies?

AB 628 applies to rental agreements that are:

• Entered into on or after January 1, 2026
• Renewed or Amended on or after January 1, 2026

Existing fixed-term leases or month-to-month tenancies are not automatically required to add a refrigerator simply because the law took effect.

However, once a lease is amended — including:

• A lease renewal
• A written Change of Terms
• A rent increase notice that modifies lease terms

The refrigerator requirement is triggered. This means compliance will occur progressively across Ventura County as leases renew or are modified over time.

Tenant-Provided Refrigerators: What Is Allowed

AB 628 does allow a tenant to bring and use their own refrigerator — but only if:

• Both landlord and tenant agree
• The agreement is included in the Rental Agreement

The written Rental Agreement should clearly outline:

• "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"
• The lease provides that the tenant may, with 30-day written notice, inform the landlord that they no longer wish to keep their owner 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.

What California Oaks Has Already Implemented

At California Oaks Property Management, we proactively adjusted before this became a compliance issue for our owners.

We have:

• Updated our Rental Agreement to include AB 628-compliant language
• Updated our Change of Terms documentation to address refrigerator requirements when leases are amended
• Implemented written addendum options for tenant-supplied refrigerators
• Conducted internal portfolio reviews to identify properties that will trigger compliance upon renewal

Practical Planning for Ventura County Owners

Owners should:

1. Review upcoming lease renewals and rent increases
2. Identify properties without refrigerators
3. Ensure Rental Agreements and Change of Terms are updated
4. Budget accordingly

The Bigger Picture

AB 628 is part of a broader pattern in California housing law: Greater clarity, standardization, and increased compliance expectations for landlords.

In Ventura County, where many owners self-manage smaller portfolios, changes like this can easily be overlooked — until a lease amendment triggers them.

Professional management is no longer just about collecting rent. It’s about staying ahead of evolving legal requirements.

If you are unsure whether your property will trigger AB 628 compliance at renewal, we recommend reviewing your lease structure now.

Interested in discussing more?

📞 Contact California Oaks Property Management

📍 2463 E. Main Street, Ventura, CA 93003
📞 (805) 648-1851
✉️info@caloakspm.com
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