Fridges, housing, pets: How new laws affect you

Governor signs bills to ease the cost of living crisis, fight bias, protect animals.

- BY KEVINISHA WALKER

A RECENTLY signed housing bill taking effect in July 2026 allows taller, denser projects near subway stops, light rail stops and bus stops with dedicated lanes.

(CARLIN STIEHL Los Angeles Times)

Redrawing congressional district maps isn’t the only legislative measure Californians should be concerned about.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a slew of new bills into law in recent weeks, including two that could help ease the housing crisis across the state.

Here’s a look at some of those bills and why Californians might want to pay closer attention to them.

A refrigerator for every apartment

A 2022 Times analysis found that California has more apartments on the market without refrigerators than any other state.

That could change as early as next year, after Newsom signed a bill requiring landlords to provide a refrigerator capable of safely storing food and a stove capable of generating heat for cooking on all new leases starting Jan. 1, 2026.

Existing state law requires landlords maintain adequate hot and cold running water, heat and weatherproofing. Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Hawthorne), who authored the bill, wanted to include a fridge and stove as necessities for a rental unit to be considered habitable.

The costs associated with moving into a new apartment can be a burden for renters, especially in Los Angeles, where the average monthly rent is $2,795, about $700 higher than the national average, according to Zillow.