"Having a working, safe fridge and stove will be a minimum requirement for keeping the unit in a habitable state," said Ethan Silverstein, staff attorney for the housing rights nonprofit, The California Center for Movement Legal Services."
"The parties can agree for the tenant to bring their own refrigerator," said Whitney Prout, executive vice president of legal affairs for the California Apartment Association, which advises landlords and developers. "But you can't require the tenant to bring their own refrigerator. ... It has to be the tenant's voluntary choice and the landlord has to agree."
"The worst thing you can do is make the request verbally through the phone," he said, adding that keeping this "paper" trail could be helpful if your landlord fails to make necessary repairs."
Average rent for a one-bedroom in California is substantially higher than the national average, and AB 628 adds working refrigerators and stoves to the state's definition of a livable home to secure access to these appliances for tenants. The law makes functioning fridges and stoves minimum requirements for habitability, while allowing tenants and landlords to agree voluntarily for tenants to provide their own appliances. Any arrangement for a tenant-supplied refrigerator must be disclosed in the lease. Tenants are advised to report repair needs in writing to create a record if landlords fail to make necessary repairs.
Read at Kqed
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