LA County Supervisors pass indoor heat ordinance to keep renters cool
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved an amendment to help renters living in unincorporated areas within the county stay cool at home.
The board voted to require landlords to maintain a maximum indoor temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
Supervisor Hilda Solis said it's not an air-conditioning ordinance, as landlords are encouraged to find other cooling mechanisms, like weatherizing windows and roofs and installing blackout curtains and ceiling fans. She said the indoor heat ordinance is meant to protect the most vulnerable residents living in older buildings in the unincorporated parts of the county.
"Extreme heat as we know is very serious, in fact it's a growing public health threat …" Solis said.
A 2023 Public Health study found that Los Angeles County is "increasingly experiencing higher temperatures and longer heat waves, leading to health and safety risks, heat-related illnesses, and worsened chronic illnesses."
The ordinance also allows renters to install various cooling measures, blackout curtains, or window A/C units, without penalties from landlords. This part of the amendment is to be in effect within 30 days.
"No one should be at risk for dying in their own home because it's too hot," Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said.
By 2027, landlords will be responsible for ensuring an 82-degree indoor temperature threshold. This could be done through a variety of measures, including repainting the roof, installing shades, ceiling fans, or adding more landscaping.
Under an amendment introduced by Supervisor Janice Hahn, an exception will be made for small property landlords and those who rent 10 units and under. They will initially only be required to maintain that temperature standard "in at least one habitable room." The deadline for full indoor household compliance for that group of landlords was extended to Jan. 1, 2032.
Hahn said it will give smaller landlords "a longer onramp" to achieve the cooling goal.
The amendment also requires staff to investigate additional funding sources to assist landlords in reaching the cooling goals.
The unincorporated communities within Los Angeles County cover approximately 2,600 square miles, and include East Los Angeles, Florence-Firestone, and Hacienda Heights.
