As California emerges from the second heat wave just this month, it is worth noting that millions of residents are living without air conditioning.
Nearly one-quarter of California households lack air conditioning, according to 2019 federal data, and in rental units, there is no requirement that landlords protect tenants from dangerously hot temperatures inside their homes and apartments.
While state law requires residential units to have heating systems to keep indoor temperatures above 70 degrees during cold weather, there is nothing requiring air conditioning or other cooling measures to keep residents safe from extreme heat. It’s a grave injustice that there is no upper temperature limit for housing, even as climate change is making temperatures rise, threatening the health and lives of Californians.
