Beginning January 1, landlords in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County will be required to maintain rental units at a maximum indoor temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit during warmer months, marking a significant change in local housing standards. This new regulation designates cooling as a mandatory habitability requirement alongside existing rules mandating heat and hot water.
The updated standard specifically targets rental properties outside the jurisdiction of incorporated cities such as Santa Monica, Pasadena, Inglewood, and Glendale, where the rule does not currently apply. Consequently, many renters within the broader Los Angeles metropolitan area remain without explicit protections for cooling in their homes.
Amy Tannenbaum, supervising attorney with Public Counsel’s Homelessness Prevention Law Project, noted that while state law establishes habitability minimums, it does not set a temperature requirement for cooling. The Los Angeles City Council has expressed interest in pursuing a similar standard citywide, directing municipal departments to explore potential rules, but no formal ordinance has been enacted.
The timing of the ordinance coincides with mounting evidence of rising temperatures across California. Research by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography indicates that the state’s average summer temperatures have increased by approximately three degrees Fahrenheit since 1896, with projections estimating an additional rise of two degrees by 2040.
Climate scientist Daniel Swain of the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources highlighted the increasing humidity accompanying Southern California heat waves, a factor that intensifies health risks beyond those associated with dry heat typical of the region. Swain emphasized that higher humidity levels exacerbate the dangers posed by heat waves to vulnerable populations.
Renters living in older buildings, which tend to retain heat, face heightened risks during prolonged periods of elevated temperatures, particularly when adequate air conditioning is not available. Under the new rule, tenants experiencing unsafe indoor heat levels will have recourse through the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s Rental Housing Habitability Program, which allows for formal complaints to be filed against landlords who fail to comply.
This initiative represents an effort by Los Angeles County to address public health and safety concerns amid growing challenges posed by climate change-driven heat extremes, establishing cooling as a recognized component of habitable living conditions in the region.