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Los Angeles County will immediately require landlords in the county’s unconsolidated area to maintain below 82 degrees to protect vulnerable tenants from the effects of climate change.
The supervisor said Tuesday that the 4-0 law was necessary to combat increased heat-related deaths across the country. Director Kathryn Berger was not present to vote.
“As we continue to face warm summers, the ordinance aims to provide relief to unemployed residents and protect them from the dangers of extreme heat in their homes,” said Hilda Solis, the director who pushed staff to begin drafting the law last year.
The law is set to take effect next month, but landlords can request an extension, but it will not come into effect until January 2027. Both old and newly constructed rental units must be adhered to.
Landlords with fewer properties have additional time. Director Janice Hahn has introduced an amendment so that landlords who own less than 10 units can only maintain rooms below 82 degrees until 2032.
Officials said a deadly heat wave, which is becoming more frequent and more intense across the state, has marked a clear public health emergency for the county.
“My district, especially the community in Los Angeles County in the San Fernando Valley, has experienced previously unimaginable temperatures,” said director Lindsey Horvas. “We hit 121 degrees in Woodland Hills alone. This is unthinkable.”
In Phoenix, landowners need to keep units with air conditioning below 82 degrees. In Clark County, Nevada, units cannot exceed 85 degrees. At Palm Springs, the unit requires air conditioning and cannot exceed 80 degrees.
Officials said tenants could call the county if they believe the temperature of the unit is too high as the new law comes into effect through the complaint. The county’s Department of Public Health inspector will then be dispatched to inspect the units. Department head Barbara Feller said the goal is to get the house as cool as possible without issuing a fine.
“Frankly, the way forward would not rely on that authority to issue a quote,” she said. “It’s going to educate people.”
County officials said they are encouraging landlords to cool units in a “passive” and environmentally friendly manner other than air conditioning. This includes blackout curtains, reflective roofing and triple pan windows
Fred Sutton, along with Apartment Asson in California, said he was concerned that by requiring all rooms to be at a certain temperature, the landlord could be punished if only one room gets too hot.
“You can actively cool your bedroom, living room, or dining room, but the kitchen doesn’t cool actively, and it’s 83 degrees,” he said. “You’re creating a really tough scenario for a building that’s completely properly cooled.”
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