Every date, degree, and dollar in the cooling law.
The rules that decide when your home has to be cooled, how cool is cool enough, what size unit it takes, and who pays. For tenants and owners, straight from the law.
Every page lists its sources and the date we last checked them.
New York City
Local Law 23 of 2026- Tenant requests open
- Mar 1, 2028
- Cooling must be working
- Jun 1, 2030
- Indoor limit, June 15 to Sept 15
- 78°F
Houston
Code § 10-363- Owners must comply by
- Dec 17, 2026
- Each habitable room, at most
- 80°F
- Or cooler than outside by
- 20°F
LA County
Code § 11.20.475- Enforcement starts
- Jan 1, 2027
- Every habitable room, at most
- 82°F
- Small landlords, all rooms by
- Jan 1, 2032
Phoenix
City Code § 39-5- With air conditioning, at most
- 82°F
- With evaporative cooling, at most
- 86°F
- Measured
- 3 ft up
Dallas
City Code § 27-11- Each habitable room, at most
- 85°F
- Or cooler than outside by
- 15°F
- Repair window after notice
- 72 hrs
Inside the NYC guide
- The NYC guideWhat the law requires of tenants and owners, start to finish.
- Am I covered?Answer a few questions and get your own dates and steps.
- Questions, answeredShort, sourced answers to what tenants and owners ask most.
- Every dateFrom the City notice in 2028 to annual inspections in 2031.
- Room calculatorThe minimum AC size for each room, at 20 BTU per square foot.
- Units and incentivesTypes of units, what to look for, and the NYSERDA incentive.
- InstallationWindow, through the wall, and PTAC installs, plus the permits involved.
- Who paysWhat the law says about cost, and what it leaves out.
Inside the Houston guide
- The Houston guideWhat the AC rule requires, who it covers, and the December 17, 2026 deadline.
- Am I covered?Four quick questions about your home and your next steps.
- For ownersFive steps to meet the rule, unit sizing, and who can install it.
- Report a problemWriting to your landlord, calling 311, and what happens next.
How ACRules works
- IndependentNot affiliated with any city, agency, or utility. About ACRules
- Both sides of the leaseTenants and owners get the same facts.
- FreeNo accounts and no paywall. How we make money
- More citiesWe cover New York City, Houston, LA County, Dallas, and Phoenix so far. Tick New cities below and tell us yours.
Get the emails you want
Each list is separate. Tick only what you want, and unsubscribe from any of them at any time.