By Chelsea Kirk, Director of Policy and Advocacy
August 5, 2025
Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in favor of an ordinance that gives renters in unincorporated Los Angeles County a right to cooling. This new ordinance grants tenants a right to install A/C or other cooling mechanisms without obstruction from their landlords or threat of eviction. Currently, Palm Springs is the only other place in California with a cooling ordinance.
The new ordinance also requires landlords ensure apartments are capable of maintaining temperatures at or below 82°F by 2027 in all habitable rooms. A “habitable room” is any room meeting requirements for sleeping, living, cooking, or eating, and excludes spaces like closets, pantries, bath or toilet rooms, service rooms, connecting corridors, laundries, unfinished attics, foyers, storage spaces, cellars, utility rooms and similar spaces.
The right to cooling is a much-needed renter protection as climate change worsens. Heat now kills more people annually in the U.S. than any other natural disaster, with most deaths occurring indoors. And, like it or not, A/C is the most effective tool we have for keeping indoor spaces cool and people safe; tree shade or cool roofs can help a little by lowering temperatures by a few degrees, but A/C can cool a space down by 20°F, which is what is needed to survive a heat wave.
Unfortunately, the ordinance makes an exception for “small landlords,” or landlords who own fewer than 10 residential units: they are only required to ensure one room at 82°F by 2027.
Supervisor Janice Hahn (SD 4) introduced this exception at the last minute, and it was supported by landlord lobbyist groups. Even more worrying, landlords can self-certify as “small landlords,” and Los Angeles County does not have the resources to verify their claim.
We are concerned that this exception will mean the ordinance is inequitably applied. In South Los Angeles and other areas with low-income renters of color, there are many older buildings owned by small landlords. Their renters especially need a right to cooling, as they are disproportionately impacted by extreme heat and live in properties that have not been upgraded to withstand climate change.
Landlords—particularly those benefiting from decades of low property taxes under Proposition 13—can and should be able to comply with the 82°F maximum temperature requirement through already allowable rent increases under the Los Angeles County Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protections Ordinance (RSTPO) and AB 1482. However, Los Angeles County also offers assistance through their Cool and Healthy Homes initiative, which connects property owners with utility rebates, energy efficiency financing, utility bill discounts, federal incentives and tax credits, weatherization funds, contractor incentives, low-income assistance, and retrofit funding to help with needed upgrades.
This ordinance is an important first step in keeping renters safe from extreme heat. Ideally, Los Angeles County should require landlords to provide air conditioning in rental housing the same way we require them to provide heat. Having a uniform, enforceable policy to provide air conditioning gives landlords clear guidelines about what they need to do and ensures tenants are safe during heat waves.
