By Utopia Property Management
If you ask any renter who is searching for apartments, condos, or homes on a rental list, they will tell you that they would prefer to rent a property that has appliances including a refrigerator, dishwasher, washer, and dryer.
Although renting a home with appliances may be a renter’s preference the reality is that most owners choose to rent their properties without appliances for a variety of reasons. In most states a landlord is not actually required to provide appliances at all, and the ones they do add are usually a matter of choice rather than law. There are a few exceptions, though, and those exceptions are where this question gets interesting.
Implied Warranty of Habitability
An implied warranty of habitability is a warranty implied by law in all residential leases that the premises are fit and habitable for human habitation and that the premises will remain fit and habitable throughout the duration of the lease. – Legalmatch.com
Thanks to the Implied Warranty of Habitability the average landlord knows that they are required to make sure that a property is first habitable before anything else.
What does habitable mean? As per the definition above, it means that the property has working plumbing, heating, and electrical. The home must also be weather resistant, pest free, and move in ready when the tenant rents it.
If a landlord has met all of these requirements they will feel that they’ve done enough and any additional furnishing that they decide to add to the Temecula rental property will be per their own choosing.
California Just Added Two Appliances to That List
The one place where an appliance stops being optional is when a state or a local ordinance folds it into the habitability standard, and California did exactly that. Under a new state law, Assembly Bill 628, a working stove and refrigerator became part of what makes a rental habitable, so for many California properties the answer to this question changed at the start of 2026. Here is roughly how the law reads, according to the California Apartment Association:
- The requirement applies to any lease that is entered into, amended, or extended on or after January 1, 2026.
- The stove and refrigerator must be kept in good working order — capable of generating heat for cooking and safely storing food.
- The landlord must repair or replace either appliance within 30 days if it is subject to a manufacturer recall.
- A tenant and landlord may agree at signing that the tenant will supply and maintain their own refrigerator.
- Permanent supportive housing and single-room-occupancy units with a shared kitchen are exempt.
This is general information rather than legal advice, and rules like this vary from one state and city to the next, so it is worth checking the law that applies to your own property before you draw up a lease.
Should Landlords Supply Appliances?
Is it a good idea for landlords to provide appliances like washers, dryers, refrigerators, and dishwashers?
In many cases a landlord may not need to supply appliances if there is plenty of demand for rental properties in Temecula at the time they are renting.
Ultimately the answer to this question depends on the landlord and their desire to offer more value to their tenants than the average rental property in the area. It is worth remembering that once a landlord does put an appliance in the unit, they generally take on the job of keeping it in working order for the length of the lease, and knowing what counts as an urgent repair helps a great deal here.
Let’s say that a landlord decides to install appliances in the rental property, in this case, the lease should specify that those appliances belong with the rental property and must not be taken when the tenant moves out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are landlords required to provide a refrigerator or stove?
In most states a landlord is not required to provide appliances at all. The main exception is California, where Assembly Bill 628 made a working stove and refrigerator part of the habitability standard for any lease entered into, amended, or extended on or after January 1, 2026. Elsewhere it usually remains the landlord’s own choice, so check the law that applies to your property.
Who repairs appliances the landlord provides?
The landlord does, as a general rule. Once a landlord decides to install appliances in the rental property, they typically take on the job of keeping them in working order for the length of the lease. Under California’s new law a provided stove or refrigerator also has to be repaired or replaced within 30 days if it is subject to a manufacturer recall.
Should you rent out a property furnished with appliances?
That depends on the landlord and their desire to offer more value to their tenants than the average rental property in the area. In many cases a landlord may not need to supply appliances if there is plenty of demand for rentals at the time they are renting. If you do install them, the lease should specify that the appliances belong with the property and stay when the tenant moves out.
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