A California bill would give tenants the right to install portable cooling devices in their units and require rental housing to meet an 82-degree temperature standard.

AB 2616, by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, D-Inglewood, would apply to leases entered, amended, or extended on or after Jan. 1, 2028. Tenants would bear the cost of any portable devices they install.

“We empathize with your concerns for people across California navigating climate change,” Freddie J. Quintana, vice president of state public affairs for CAA, wrote in an opposition letter to McKinnor. “However, as currently drafted, AB 2616 can lead to more of our residents without power.”

CAA’s letter notes that the bill’s provisions directly contradict each other. One assigns cost and responsibility to tenants; the other makes temperature compliance a landlord obligation under the substandard housing code.

The association is asking for several amendments, including that the bill:

Make clear that the combined electrical load of all tenant-installed cooling devices shall not exceed the rated capacity of the electrical system or circuit serving the dwelling unit

Require tenants to work with the rental property owner on the installation of any window cooling device

Make clear that tenants are responsible for any damage to the dwelling unit caused by the installation or use of a portable cooling device, including water damage, mold, or mildew

The bill also raises liability questions. CAA is requesting immunity language for landlords and their agents from claims arising from tenant-installed cooling devices.

At least one local jurisdiction has already acted on this topic. Last summer, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved an 82-degree mandate for rental housing, with a small property owner amendment allowing those who qualify to comply in a single room through 2032.