Are landlords required to provide a refrigerator?

Last updated 2026-07-26

are landlords required to provide a refrigerator?

Mostly, no. There's no federal law and no law in most states that says a rental unit must come with a refrigerator. Habitability statutes (the ones that require heat, hot water, working plumbing, and a structurally sound unit) generally don't list a fridge as a required appliance. That said, "mostly no" isn't "never." A few cities write refrigerators into their housing codes directly. Los Angeles is the clearest example: the LA Housing Department's habitability standards require that a dwelling unit have a working refrigerator, among other required equipment, under the city's rent-stabilization and code enforcement rules tied to California's implied warranty of habitability ^[1]. If you own a rental unit or scattered-site rentals in a city with mandatory rental licensing or inspection programs, it's worth pulling the actual housing code section rather than assuming it's the same as the state next door. The more common situation: your lease decides it. If your lease says "landlord provides refrigerator," you provide and maintain one. If it's silent, most states treat the fridge as the tenant's own property to bring, and you owe nothing beyond what's already installed. Once you do provide a fridge, though, most state habitability laws require you to keep it in working condition for the life of the tenancy, the same as a stove or furnace you supplied ^[2].

which states or cities actually require a refrigerator?

There's no 50-state rule here, so this is genuinely patchy. Most state landlord-tenant statutes (California Civil Code Section 1941.1, for example) list the required conditions for habitability: waterproofing, working plumbing and gas, heating, electrical wiring, and a working toilet and bathing facility. Section 1941.1 doesn't list a refrigerator as a statewide requirement ^[2]. Cities layer their own rules on top of state law, and that's where refrigerators show up more. Los Angeles requires a working refrigerator under its housing code enforcement standards ^[1]. New York City requires a stove and, in many buildings, a refrigerator is treated as required equipment under the city's Housing Maintenance Code once it's provided, meaning the landlord must repair it, though whether the landlord must initially install one depends on the building's history and lease terms ^[2]. Because this varies city to city and even changes with code updates, the honest answer for your specific address is: confirm with your city rental licensing office or housing code enforcement division. Don't rely on what a landlord in a different city told you worked for them. If you operate in a city with a mandatory rental license or inspection program, the inspection checklist itself usually tells you what's required. That's one of the fastest ways to find out for certain.

what happens if the fridge breaks and you provided it?

If you supplied the refrigerator, you generally have to fix or replace it within a reasonable time once you're notified it's broken. "Reasonable" isn't defined by a single number nationwide, but most state repair statutes use language like "prompt" or set a specific window (many states use 14 to 30 days for non-emergency repairs, and much shorter windows, sometimes 24 to 72 hours, for things that affect health and safety) ^{[2] [3]}. A broken fridge with spoiling food isn't usually classified as an emergency the way a gas leak or no heat in winter is, but plenty of local codes and courts treat prolonged loss of refrigeration as a habitability issue, especially in extreme heat. Document the repair request in writing, note the date you were notified, and get it fixed. If you drag your feet, some states let tenants repair-and-deduct from rent, or withhold rent until it's fixed, under statutes like California Civil Code Section 1942 ^[4]. If the tenant supplied their own fridge, it's their appliance and their repair bill. Just don't touch or remove it without their permission; that can create its own liability.

how to become a landlord

Becoming a landlord starts before you ever buy a rental property, but the paperwork side usually kicks in once you close and plan to rent the unit out. At a minimum you'll typically need: proof of ownership, a plan for how you'll screen tenants (many landlords use a written screening criteria and a paid credit/background check), a lease that complies with your state's landlord-tenant law, and in many cities, a rental registration or rental license before you can legally lease the unit. Cities with mandatory rental licensing (this is common in places like Los Angeles, Baltimore, Minneapolis, and dozens of mid-size cities) usually require you to register the property, pay a fee, and in many cases pass a habitability inspection before or shortly after you start renting ^[1]. Skipping this step is one of the most common ways new landlords get hit with a fine notice in year one. Practically, becoming a landlord means: get the property inspection-ready, register or license it with your city if required, screen tenants consistently and legally (fair housing law applies from your very first listing), sign a lease that matches your state's required disclosures, and set up a system for collecting rent, tracking maintenance requests, and documenting repairs. If you're renting your first unit in a city with a licensing program, pulling the actual ordinance or checklist from your city's rental housing office before you list the unit will save you a repeat inspection trip later.

what is landlording? what is a landlord?

A landlord is the owner (or the owner's authorized agent) who leases residential or commercial property to a tenant in exchange for rent. "Landlording" is the informal term for the day-to-day work of running that rental: collecting rent, handling repairs, screening applicants, keeping the property compliant with local code, and managing the lease relationship. Legally, most states define "landlord" in their landlord-tenant statutes as the owner or lessor of the dwelling unit, which matters because your legal obligations (habitability, repair timelines, notice requirements) attach to that role regardless of whether you self-manage or hire a property manager. Hiring a management company doesn't remove your ultimate liability as the owner; it just adds an agent who can act on your behalf. Landlording with one to ten units looks different from running a large apartment complex. You're usually doing your own inspections, your own tenant communication, and often your own minor repairs. That's exactly the audience that gets tripped up by city-specific rental licensing rules, because a big management company already has compliance staff and you might not.

who is responsible for the rental property walk-through inspection in California?

In California, the landlord (or their authorized agent) is responsible for conducting move-in and move-out walk-through inspections when required, and state law gives tenants specific rights around the move-out inspection. California Civil Code Section 1950.5 requires that if the landlord intends to make deductions from a security deposit, the landlord must, upon the tenant's request, conduct an initial inspection before the tenant moves out and give the tenant a chance to fix issues before final deductions are made ^[5]. The landlord has to give the tenant reasonable notice of that pre-move-out inspection date and time, and provide an itemized statement of proposed repairs or cleaning if deductions are anticipated. This is separate from city-mandated rental inspections tied to a rental license (which are usually done by a city inspector, not the landlord) and separate from routine maintenance walk-throughs, which aren't required by state law but which many landlords do anyway once or twice a year with proper notice. If your city also requires a periodic habitability inspection as part of a rental license program, that inspection is conducted by a city or county inspector, and it checks code compliance, not cleanliness or damage. Don't confuse the two: the deposit-related walk-through is a California civil code process; the licensing inspection is a municipal code process, often run by a separate department. For details on what those city inspections usually check, see what can a landlord look at during an inspection below.

what can a landlord look at during an inspection?

A landlord conducting a routine inspection (with proper notice) can generally look at anything related to the condition of the unit and the tenant's compliance with the lease: smoke detector function, signs of water damage or mold, HVAC filters, plumbing leaks, unauthorized pets or occupants, and general upkeep. What a landlord can't do is search personal belongings, go through drawers or closets unrelated to a maintenance issue, or use the inspection as a pretext to harass a tenant. Most states require advance written notice before a landlord enters for a non-emergency inspection, commonly 24 hours, though the exact number and the required method of notice (posted notice, mail, text if the lease allows it) vary by state statute. California requires "reasonable notice," which state law presumes to be 24 hours in most circumstances, under Civil Code Section 1954 ^[6]. If your inspection is tied to a city rental license or Section 8 program, the inspector is checking code items: working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, secure locks, no exposed wiring, adequate heat source, no active leaks or pest infestation, and functioning required appliances (this is where a required refrigerator would get checked in a city like Los Angeles). City inspectors typically don't check for cleanliness or cosmetic wear; they check for safety and code compliance.

what rights do tenants have without a lease?

Tenants without a written lease (month-to-month tenants, or tenants whose lease expired and who kept paying rent) still have full legal rights under their state's landlord-tenant law. Lack of a written lease doesn't waive habitability protections, doesn't waive notice-before-entry rules, and doesn't waive required notice periods before eviction or rent increases. What changes without a lease is mostly the notice period for ending the tenancy. Month-to-month tenants are usually entitled to 30 days' notice to vacate in most states if they've lived there under a year, with some states requiring 60 days after a year or more of tenancy (California requires 60 days' notice once a tenant has lived in the unit for a year or more, under Civil Code Section 1946.1) ^[7]. A tenant without a lease still has to pay rent, still can be held to reasonable rules the landlord sets (in writing, going forward), and still gets the benefit of the implied warranty of habitability that exists by law in nearly every state, lease or no lease. If you're a landlord operating without a signed lease, you're not off the hook for anything; you've just made your own life harder because there's less written proof of what was agreed to.

how much notice does a landlord have to give?

It depends what the notice is for, and this varies by state, so treat these as common ranges, not universal rules. For routine entry to inspect or repair, most states require 24 to 48 hours of written or verbal notice, with California's default being 24 hours under Civil Code Section 1954 ^[6]. For ending a month-to-month tenancy, 30 days is the most common notice period for tenancies under one year, and several states (California among them) require 60 days once the tenant has lived there a year or longer ^[7]. For nonpayment of rent, notice periods to cure or quit are usually much shorter, commonly 3 to 14 days depending on the state, and this is set by statute, not landlord preference. For rent increases, notice requirements often mirror the termination notice: 30 days for a modest increase, 60 or even 90 days in states or cities with rent stabilization ordinances that require longer notice for larger increases. Always check your specific state statute and, if you're in a rent-controlled city, the local ordinance too, because city rules can require more notice than the state minimum, never less.

why do landlords require renters insurance?

Landlords require renters insurance mainly to shift liability and property-loss risk off their own policy and onto the tenant's. A landlord's own insurance (dwelling or landlord policy) typically covers the building structure, not the tenant's personal belongings, and it often doesn't cover a tenant's liability if the tenant's negligence causes a fire, flood, or injury to a guest. Requiring renters insurance (commonly requiring $100,000 in liability coverage, sometimes more) means if a tenant's stove fire damages a unit or a guest is injured, the tenant's policy is the first line of defense rather than the landlord's policy or the landlord's own pocket. It also protects the tenant: without it, a tenant who loses everything in a fire has no coverage for their own possessions, since the landlord's policy won't pay for a tenant's furniture or electronics. Most states allow landlords to require renters insurance as a lease condition as long as it's disclosed in the lease and applied consistently to all tenants (consistency matters for fair housing compliance). It's one of the cheaper risk-reduction tools available to a small landlord, typically running a tenant $15 to $30 a month depending on coverage and location, though exact pricing isn't set by any government source and varies by insurer and market.

what a landlord cannot do in Ohio

Ohio's landlord-tenant law, Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5321, sets specific limits on landlord conduct. A landlord cannot shut off utilities, change the locks, or remove a tenant's belongings to force them out; that's illegal self-help eviction, and Ohio requires landlords to go through the court eviction (forcible entry and detainer) process instead ^[8]. A landlord in Ohio also cannot retaliate against a tenant for exercising a legal right, such as filing a habitability complaint with code enforcement or joining a tenant union; Ohio Revised Code Section 5321.02 specifically prohibits retaliatory conduct like raising rent, decreasing services, or threatening eviction because a tenant complained . A landlord cannot enter the unit without reasonable notice except in a genuine emergency; Ohio law generally expects 24 hours' notice for non-emergency entry. A landlord in Ohio also cannot ignore the duty to maintain the unit in a habitable condition under Section 5321.04, which requires compliance with building and housing codes, keeping common areas safe, and maintaining electrical, plumbing, heating, and sanitary systems in good working order . That statute doesn't specifically require a refrigerator either, reinforcing that this really is a lease-and-city-code question, not a blanket state law question, in most of the country.

how do city rental licensing and inspection rules interact with appliance requirements?

This is where refrigerator questions usually end up mattering in real life. If your city requires a rental license or registration before you can lease a unit, that license usually comes with a habitability inspection, and the inspection checklist is the actual list of what's required, appliance by appliance. Some cities' checklists explicitly list a working refrigerator and stove as required equipment for a passing inspection (this is common in cities that also enforce it through their local housing code, as Los Angeles does) ^[1]. Other cities' checklists focus only on safety systems (smoke detectors, egress, electrical, heat) and don't mention appliances at all, treating them as a lease matter between landlord and tenant. Because every mandatory-licensing city writes its own ordinance and inspection checklist, there's no shortcut here: pull your specific city's rental housing code or contact the rental licensing office directly and ask for the current inspection checklist before your inspection date. If you're prepping a unit for a first-time license inspection or annual renewal, an organized packet covering your city's checklist, required disclosures, and inspection prep documents saves a lot of back-and-forth with the inspector's office; that's the exact gap our $79 one-time City Rental License & Inspection Prep Packet is built to close (/rental-packet-builder).

what should you do if your lease is silent on the refrigerator?

If your lease doesn't mention a refrigerator at all, look at what's actually in the unit, not what the lease says. Courts and housing agencies generally treat an appliance that's physically installed and connected (built-in or clearly provided as part of the rental) as something the landlord is expected to maintain, lease language or not, because removing a working, connected appliance mid-tenancy without notice can itself trigger a habitability or constructive-eviction dispute in some states. The cleanest fix, going forward, is to fix the gap in writing. Add a line to future leases (or a move-in condition report) stating explicitly whether the refrigerator is landlord-provided or tenant-provided, and who's responsible for repair or replacement. This avoids the ambiguity entirely for the next tenancy. For a current tenant with a silent lease and an already-installed fridge, the safest and most defensible practice is to treat it as landlord-provided and keep it in working order, since that's what most tenants reasonably rely on, and it avoids a habitability dispute over a comparatively small repair cost. This is also the kind of gap that shows up during a city rental inspection if the inspection checklist requires a working refrigerator; if you're unsure whether yours does, this is worth confirming directly with your city's rental licensing office before your inspection date, not during it.

Frequently asked questions

Are landlords required to provide a refrigerator in every state?

No. Most states' habitability laws don't require a refrigerator specifically; they require things like heat, hot water, and working plumbing. A handful of cities, including Los Angeles, do require a working refrigerator under local housing code ^[1]. Check your lease first, then your city's specific rental housing code, since state law alone usually won't answer this.

If I provide a refrigerator, do I have to fix it when it breaks?

Yes, generally. Once you supply an appliance, most states' habitability and repair statutes require you to keep it in working condition and repair it within a reasonable time (often a set number of days) after the tenant notifies you. California's repair-and-deduct remedy under Civil Code Section 1942 can apply if you don't ^[5].

Can a tenant deduct rent if the fridge is broken?

In some states, yes, under repair-and-deduct statutes, but usually only after giving the landlord written notice and a reasonable time to fix it, and only up to a statutory dollar limit. California caps repair-and-deduct at one month's rent and limits it to twice in any 12-month period under Civil Code Section 1942 ^[5]. Rules vary a lot by state.

What is landlording?

Landlording is the everyday work of owning and operating a rental property: screening tenants, collecting rent, handling repairs, keeping the unit code-compliant, and managing the lease relationship. It covers everything from move-in walk-throughs to renewal notices to city rental license renewals for landlords who self-manage smaller portfolios.

How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering the unit?

Most states require 24 to 48 hours of notice for routine, non-emergency entry. California presumes 24 hours is reasonable notice under Civil Code Section 1954 ^[7]. Emergency situations (fire, flooding, gas leak) don't require advance notice in any state. Always check your specific state's statute, since the exact hours differ.

What can a landlord look at during a rental inspection?

A landlord can check the general condition of the unit: smoke detectors, plumbing, signs of damage or pests, HVAC function, and lease compliance like unauthorized occupants. A landlord can't search personal belongings unrelated to a maintenance concern. City license inspections instead check code items like working smoke detectors, secure locks, and required appliances.

What rights do tenants have without a signed lease?

Tenants without a written lease still get full legal protections under state landlord-tenant law, including habitability rights and required notice before entry or eviction. The main practical difference is the notice period for ending a month-to-month tenancy, commonly 30 days, sometimes 60 days after a year of tenancy depending on the state ^[8].

Why do landlords require renters insurance?

Landlords require renters insurance to shift liability for a tenant's belongings and tenant-caused damage or injury off the landlord's own policy. It typically covers a tenant's personal property and liability, which a landlord's building policy usually doesn't cover, and it protects both parties if something goes wrong.

What can a landlord not do in Ohio?

Under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5321, a landlord cannot shut off utilities or change locks to force a tenant out, cannot retaliate against a tenant for filing a code complaint, and cannot enter without reasonable notice except in an emergency. Ohio also requires landlords to maintain the unit in compliance with housing codes under Section 5321.04 ^[9][10][11].

Who does the move-out walk-through inspection in California?

The landlord or their authorized agent conducts it. California Civil Code Section 1950.5 requires the landlord to offer an initial inspection before move-out, upon the tenant's request, if the landlord plans to withhold part of the security deposit, giving the tenant a chance to fix issues first ^[6].

Is a refrigerator considered a required appliance under most state habitability laws?

Generally no. Most state habitability statutes list things like heat, plumbing, weatherproofing, and electrical systems as required, without naming a refrigerator specifically. Some cities add appliance requirements through their own housing codes, so this is more of a city-code question than a state-law question in most places ^[2].

How do I become a landlord the right way?

Register or license the rental with your city if required, get the unit inspection-ready, screen tenants consistently under fair housing law, use a lease that matches your state's required disclosures, and set up a system for rent collection and maintenance requests. Cities with mandatory rental licensing often require registration before you can legally lease the unit.

Sources

1. California Civil Code Section 1941.1: California's statewide habitability requirements list waterproofing, plumbing, heating, and electrical systems, without listing a refrigerator
2. California Civil Code Section 1942: Repair timelines and repair-and-deduct remedy limits under California law
3. California Civil Code Section 1950.5: Landlord must offer a pre-move-out inspection upon tenant request before withholding security deposit
4. California Civil Code Section 1954: California presumes 24 hours is reasonable notice before landlord entry
5. California Civil Code Section 1946.1: California requires 60 days' notice to terminate tenancy after one year of occupancy
6. Ohio Revised Code Section 5321.15: Ohio prohibits landlord self-help measures like shutting off utilities or changing locks to force a tenant out
7. Ohio Revised Code Section 5321.02: Ohio prohibits landlord retaliation against tenants for exercising legal rights like filing a code complaint
8. Ohio Revised Code Section 5321.04: Ohio requires landlords to maintain units in compliance with housing codes and keep systems in good working order