SAN DIEGO — California renters gained significant new legal protections starting New Year’s Day as multiple laws took effect aimed at improving living conditions and safeguarding vulnerable tenants across the state.
Among the most significant changes, landlords are now required to provide working stoves and refrigerators as part of rental agreements. The new requirement came after an L.A. Times investigation in 2022 revealed that Los Angeles and Orange Counties had the fewest apartments with working refrigerators among major U.S. urban areas.
“A working stove and a working refrigerator are not a luxury, they are a necessary part of modern life,” said Assembly Member Tina McKinnor, who proposed the legislation…