Starting January 1, 2027, landlords in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County will be legally required to maintain rental units at or below 82 degrees Fahrenheit during warmer months. This new regulation integrates cooling into the county’s habitability standards, alongside existing requirements for heating and hot water.
The ordinance aims to address increasingly severe and humid heat waves impacting Southern California. Research from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography indicates that the state's average summer temperature has risen approximately 3 degrees Fahrenheit since 1896 and could increase by another 2 degrees by 2040 if current pollution trends persist. Climate scientist Daniel Swain noted that recent heat waves have been more humid, increasing health risks, especially as hotter nights hinder the body's recovery.
This new rule, however, applies only to unincorporated LA County communities. Renters in independent cities such as Santa Monica, Pasadena, Inglewood, and Glendale are not automatically covered. The Los Angeles City Council has initiated a study to determine if a similar indoor temperature requirement should be adopted citywide.
Landlords can initially implement less costly solutions like improving insulation, installing window coverings, adding shade structures, or using fans. If these measures are insufficient, mechanical cooling systems may become necessary. However, officials acknowledge that retrofitting older buildings and ensuring grid capacity present significant challenges.
Becky Schlikerman, spokesperson for the LA Department of Public Health, warned that the implementation process will not be without difficulties, citing installation costs, the condition of aging buildings, and potential strain on the electrical grid.
One significant concern raised by tenant advocates is the financial burden on renters. "Any increase in the electric bill related to this cooling is going to fall back on the tenant," said Amy Tannenbaum, supervising attorney with Public Counsel’s Homelessness Prevention Law Project. Skip Koenig, director of pro bono at Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles, echoed these concerns, highlighting affordability as a major hurdle for low-income renters already managing high housing and utility costs.
Tenants experiencing uncomfortably high temperatures in covered areas can file complaints through the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s Rental Housing Habitability Program starting in 2027. The initial approach will focus on education, offering landlords opportunities to comply before resorting to enforcement. Extensions can be requested for those needing additional time.
Advocates caution that the complaint resolution process could be protracted, potentially requiring tenants to pursue legal action. They advise tenants to meticulously document all communication with landlords, along with photographic and video evidence, and to maintain temperature logs.
The new rental regulation arrives as California grapples with broader challenges in maintaining cool environments. Previously, California schools struggled with adequate cooling despite the CalSHAPE program, which was intended to help campuses upgrade HVAC systems. The program's funding was cut short in 2024 by the California Energy Commission, leaving many districts without resources for essential upgrades and raising questions about the state's readiness to ensure resident comfort as temperatures continue to climb.