ACRules
LA County
New York CityHoustonLA CountyPhoenixDallas

More areas are coming. Get told when yours is added

LA County's 82°F rule, explained for renters and landlords

Rental homes covered by the County's new cooling rule must be able to stay at or below 82°F in every habitable room. The rule applies in unincorporated LA County, and in any city that adopts it.

Am I covered?Write your notice

The rule

County Code § 11.20.475

Maximum indoor temperature in every habitable room

No higher than
82°F
Enforcement startsOr when the County approves the related fee, whichever is later.

Measured 3 feet above the floor, in the center of the room.

What the rule requires

  • 82°F in all habitable roomsEvery rental unit the rule covers must be able to maintain a maximum indoor temperature of 82°F in all habitable rooms.
  • The landlord provides the wayThe landlord must provide a safe, code compliant way to keep those rooms at 82°F or below.
  • How it's measured3 feet above the floor, in the center of the room.
  • Air conditioning isn't the only answerThe County encourages passive measures first, such as fans, shades, window coverings, and insulation. If those can't hold 82°F, the landlord may need mechanical cooling, such as air conditioning or a heat pump.

Who it covers

Check your home

  • Rentals in unincorporated LA CountyPlaces such as East Los Angeles, Florence-Firestone, and Hacienda Heights are unincorporated, which means the County governs them directly.
  • Cities only if they adopt itThe rule applies inside a city only if that city adopts the entire ordinance into its own code. We haven't confirmed which cities, if any, have done that.
  • How to tell where a home sitsThe County's Regional Planning department explains how to check whether a property is in an unincorporated area or inside a city. See their steps

The dates

  • Enforcement startsJanuary 1, 2027, or when the County approves the fee that covers its enforcement costs, whichever is later.
  • Most landlordsAll habitable rooms in each rental unit must be able to stay at or below 82°F.
  • Small Property LandlordsAt least one habitable room by January 1, 2027, and all habitable rooms by January 1, 2032.
  • ExtensionsA landlord who can't comply with portable or other non mechanical cooling can apply in writing for up to two more years beyond January 1, 2027.

Is the landlord a Small Property Landlord?

A landlord qualifies by meeting any one of these:

  • 1. A homeowner's exemptionThe landlord receives a Homeowners' Property Tax Exemption on the property where the rental unit is.
  • 2. One small propertyThe landlord owns or controls only one rental property with 10 or fewer rental units.
  • 3. A few small propertiesThe landlord owns or controls up to three rental properties with 10 or fewer rental units combined, counting properties outside LA County.

Real estate investment trusts, corporations, and certain LLCs and partnerships tied to a corporation are left out of the definition.

For renters

Write your 5 day notice

  • You can add your own coolingAt your own cost, you can install a portable cooling device or use non mechanical methods such as blackout curtains, window film, or shades. It has to follow building codes and the maker's written safety guidelines, and it can't require altering the unit.
  • Give 5 calendar days of notice firstNotice can be written or electronic. A portable electric fan needs no notice.
  • The device stays yoursYou keep ownership of what you buy, and you're responsible for damage it causes.
  • No retaliationA landlord can't retaliate against or harass you for using these rights.
  • No pass through of the costIn a Fully Covered Rental Unit under the County's rent stabilization ordinance, a landlord can't pass a portable cooling device through to tenants as a capital improvement.

Complaints and enforcement

  • Complaint basedInspectors from the County's Rental Housing Habitability Program investigate complaints, starting with an education first approach.
  • A first complaint buys timeA property with an initial complaint gets additional time to comply before inspection and enforcement provisions apply.
  • Program contactsEmail [email protected] or call 1-888-700-9995. Program page

What we couldn't confirm yet

  • The fee approvalEnforcement waits on the County approving a related fee. The County's pages don't say whether that has happened, so January 1, 2027 is the earliest start.
  • Which cities adopted itNo official list turned up. Ask your city, or check its code.
  • Homes the rule leaves outThe ordinance text we read applies to "every rental housing unit" and lists no exemptions. The County's Cool and Healthy Homes owner page has a "What's Not Covered" heading whose list didn't display for us. Ask the County before you assume a home is exempt.
  • The final ordinance numberThe posted ordinance text we read is marked "Revised 8/6/25" and leaves the ordinance number blank. The County's own pages are the place to confirm the final wording.