Is AC Required In Your Rental? Not Yet, But Some LA City Coucilmembers Want It To Be

The Los Angeles City Council is moving forward with a plan to explore requiring air conditioning in L.A. rental units. The council passed the motion, proposed by Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, last week.

Hernandez spoke about her proposal on AirTalk, the LAist 89.3 public affairs show, on Tuesday.

Listen to the conversation

What happens next with the proposal?

City staff have been instructed to study the costs and feasibility of requiring a “cooling apparatus in all residential rental units.”

Among the items that will be explored: potential code amendments, subsidy support for low-income and middle-income tenants to offset cooling costs, and an assessment of how a cooling requirement would impact the power grid.

The proposal does not require vents or HVAC systems to be added, which can be more expensive than wall units, Hernandez said on AirTalk.

“We want to make sure we can implement this without it being a heavy cost on folks,” she said.

Who would bear the costs?

We don’t know yet. The feasibility study will include a cost analysis. But, Hernandez noted, it won’t necessarily be on the property owners.

“We want to figure out how we can make it as accessible as possible for everybody without it being a burden to people,” she said.

Asked if the proposal could lead to a loosening of rent control rules ito help property owners recoup the cost of AC units, Hernandez responded, “This is not our goal. We strongly believe in rent control.”

Why is AC necessary?

Heat is a growing concern in the L.A. area — and a recent prediction from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stated that we’re heading into a summer that will be hotter than usual. This is a health and safety concern for many Angelenos without air conditioning — especially for older adults and people with disabilities.

What can I do if I need AC right now?

There is a program run by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power that can provide eligible community members with a rebate if they want to buy an air conditioner. Eligibility details are available on the department’s website.