California Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules
California rules on mold, pests, heat & ac for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: Visible mold growth, as determined by a health officer or code enforcement officer, and dampness of habitable rooms are listed as substandard housing conditions, which make a unit untenantable under the landlord's repair duty. Cal. Health & Safety Code § 17920.3(a)(11), (a)(13); Cal. Civ. Code § 1941.1(a); Health & Safety Code §§ 26147, 26148
The rules in California
| Mold | Visible mold growth, as determined by a health officer or code enforcement officer, and dampness of habitable rooms are listed as substandard housing conditions, which make a unit untenantable under the landlord's repair duty. Minor mold on surfaces that can collect moisture during normal use is excluded. The Toxic Mold Protection Act also requires landlords to give written mold disclosures and a state mold booklet to tenants, but those duties do not start until the Department of Public Health adopts mold exposure standards, guidelines and the booklet. Tenants may use repair-and-deduct or other remedies for untenantable conditions (Civ. Code § 1942). Re-verified 2026-10-27. |
|---|---|
| Pests & bed bugs | The landlord must keep the building, grounds and all areas it controls clean and free of rodents and vermin, and insect, vermin or rodent infestation is a substandard condition. Under the bed-bug law, the landlord may not show or rent a vacant unit it knows has a current bed-bug infestation, must give every new tenant a written bed-bug information notice (all existing tenants since January 1, 2018), and must notify tenants in writing within two business days of a pest control operator's findings for inspected units (and all tenants for confirmed common-area infestations). Tenants must cooperate with inspections. The landlord has no duty to inspect for bed bugs without notice of a suspected infestation, but an infestation evident on visual inspection counts as notice (§ 1954.602(b)). The statutes do not say who pays for treatment; local codes may. Re-verified 2026-10-27. |
| Heat | Yes. A unit is untenantable if it substantially lacks heating facilities that met code when installed and are kept in good working order, and lack of adequate heating is a substandard condition. State housing regulations (Title 25) require dwelling units to be able to maintain a minimum indoor temperature. For leases entered into, amended or extended on or after January 1, 2026, a working stove and refrigerator are also habitability requirements (Civ. Code § 1941.1(a)(10)-(11), added by AB 628 of 2025). Re-verified 2026-10-27. |
| Air conditioning | No state requirement to provide air conditioning and no state maximum indoor temperature for rentals. The state housing department has recommended that the Legislature consider a maximum safe indoor air temperature of 82°F for dwellings, but that recommendation is not law. Legislation may follow the HCD report. |
| Smoke and CO detectors | Landlords must provide working smoke detectors that meet code in all bedrooms and other designated areas of rental units (manufactured housing such as mobilehomes is excepted), and apartment complexes also need smoke detectors in common stairwells. A rental with fossil-fuel appliances (such as a gas water heater, heater, stove or fireplace) or an attached garage must have working carbon monoxide detectors that meet code. A landlord may enter the unit with proper notice to repair, test or maintain smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Summary from the state's official tenant guide, which is not itself legal authority; check the Civil Code sections it cites before acting. |
Related questions
- Does a landlord have to fix mold?
- Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in a rental?
- Does a landlord have to provide heat?
- Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning?
California vs. neighboring states
| State | Mold | Pests & bed bugs | Heat |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Visible mold growth, as determined by a health officer or code enforcement officer, and dampness of habitable rooms are listed as substandard housing conditions, which make a unit untenantable under the landlord's repair duty. Minor mold on surfaces that can collect moisture during normal use is excluded. The Toxic Mold Protection Act also requires landlords to give written mold disclosures and a state mold booklet to tenants, but those duties do not start until the Department of Public Health adopts mold exposure standards, guidelines and the booklet. Cal. Health & Safety Code § 17920.3(a)(11), (a)(13); Cal. Civ. Code § 1941.1(a); Health & Safety Code §§ 26147, 26148 | The landlord must keep the building, grounds and all areas it controls clean and free of rodents and vermin, and insect, vermin or rodent infestation is a substandard condition. Under the bed-bug law, the landlord may not show or rent a vacant unit it knows has a current bed-bug infestation, must give every new tenant a written bed-bug information notice (all existing tenants since January 1, 2018), and must notify tenants in writing within two business days of a pest control operator's findings for inspected units (and all tenants for confirmed common-area infestations). Tenants must cooperate with inspections. Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1941.1(a)(6), 1954.602, 1954.603, 1954.604, 1954.605; Health & Safety Code § 17920.3(a)(12) | Yes. A unit is untenantable if it substantially lacks heating facilities that met code when installed and are kept in good working order, and lack of adequate heating is a substandard condition. State housing regulations (Title 25) require dwelling units to be able to maintain a minimum indoor temperature. Cal. Civ. Code § 1941.1(a)(4); Health & Safety Code § 17920.3(a)(6); Cal. Code Regs., tit. 25, § 34 |
| Arizona | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. Arizona has no mold disclosure or remediation law for rentals. The landlord must comply with building codes materially affecting health and safety and make all repairs needed to keep the premises fit and habitable. A.R.S. § 33-1324(A)(1)-(2) | Arizona has a bed-bug statute. Landlords must give bed-bug educational materials to existing and new tenants and may not rent a unit they know has a current bed-bug infestation. Tenants may not knowingly move infested items into the unit and must notify the landlord in writing or electronically if they know bed bugs are present. Other pests fall under the general duty to keep the premises fit and habitable. A.R.S. § 33-1319; § 33-1324(A)(2) | Yes. The landlord must supply reasonable heat when required by seasonal weather, unless the building is not required by law to have heating or the heat comes from equipment in the tenant's exclusive control with a direct utility connection. If the landlord deliberately or negligently fails to supply heat, the tenant may give notice and buy heat and deduct the cost, recover damages, or get substitute housing. State law sets no minimum temperature. A.R.S. §§ 33-1324(A)(6), 33-1364 |
| Nevada | No statute — general habitability duty applies. The landlord must maintain the unit in a habitable condition at all times; a unit is not habitable if it violates housing or health codes on health, safety, sanitation, or fitness, or substantially lacks effective waterproofing and weather protection, working plumbing, or walls, floors, and ceilings in good repair. NRS 118A.290(1) | At the start of the tenancy, the building, grounds, and other areas under the landlord's control must be clean, sanitary, and reasonably free of rodents, insects, and vermin. The tenant must keep the unit clean and safe and dispose of garbage properly. No bed-bug-specific statute. NRS 118A.290(1)(g); NRS 118A.310 | Yes. A unit is not habitable if it substantially lacks adequate heating facilities that conformed to law when installed and are maintained in good working order. No statewide minimum temperature or heating season is set. If the landlord is required to supply heat and willfully or negligently fails to, the tenant has additional remedies, including damages of up to $2,500. NRS 118A.290(1)(d); NRS 118A.380 |
| Oregon | No mold-specific statute — the general habitability duty applies. A unit is unhabitable if it substantially lacks effective waterproofing and weather protection, plumbing in good working order, or floors, walls and ceilings in good repair, among other items. Mold is expressly excluded from the 'minor habitability defect' repair-and-deduct remedy (repairs up to $300), so tenants must use the other habitability remedies. ORS 90.320(1); ORS 90.368(1)(b) | No bed-bug-specific statute. At the start of the tenancy the landlord must deliver buildings and grounds free of rodents and vermin, and must keep areas under the landlord's control free of rodents and vermin. The tenant must keep areas under the tenant's control free of rodents and vermin to the extent the tenant caused the problem, and must reasonably cooperate with the landlord's efforts to remedy it. ORS 90.320(1)(f); ORS 90.325(1)(b) | Yes. A unit is unhabitable if it substantially lacks adequate heating facilities that conformed to applicable law when installed and are maintained in good working order. No statewide minimum indoor temperature or heating season. If the landlord deliberately or negligently fails to supply heat or other essential services, the tenant has remedies including procuring heat and deducting the cost, recovering damages, or obtaining substitute housing. ORS 90.320(1)(d); ORS 90.365 |
City rules that may add to state law
- Anaheim
- Bakersfield
- Berkeley
- Fresno
- Glendale
- Long Beach
- Los Angeles
- Mountain View
- Oakland
- Pasadena
- Riverside
- Sacramento
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Santa Ana
- Santa Monica
- West Hollywood
More California rental law
- California Security Deposit Law
- California Eviction Laws
- California Notice to Vacate Rules
- Landlord Entry Rules in California
- California Repairs & Tenant Remedies
- California Rent Increase & Late Fee Laws
- Breaking a Lease in California
- Squatters' Rights in California
- California Rental Fee Rules
- California Section 8, Records & Right to Counsel
- California Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules
- California Landlord Selling the House
- California Lockouts, Utility Shutoffs & Retaliation
- California Subletting, Lease Endings & Tenant Death
- All California landlord-tenant rules
- Free legal help in California
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California Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules FAQ
Does a landlord have to fix mold in California?
Visible mold growth, as determined by a health officer or code enforcement officer, and dampness of habitable rooms are listed as substandard housing conditions, which make a unit untenantable under the landlord's repair duty. Minor mold on surfaces that can collect moisture during normal use is excluded. The Toxic Mold Protection Act also requires landlords to give written mold disclosures and a state mold booklet to tenants, but those duties do not start until the Department of Public Health adopts mold exposure standards, guidelines and the booklet. (Cal. Health & Safety Code § 17920.3(a)(11), (a)(13); Cal. Civ. Code § 1941.1(a); Health & Safety Code §§ 26147, 26148)
Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in California?
The landlord must keep the building, grounds and all areas it controls clean and free of rodents and vermin, and insect, vermin or rodent infestation is a substandard condition. Under the bed-bug law, the landlord may not show or rent a vacant unit it knows has a current bed-bug infestation, must give every new tenant a written bed-bug information notice (all existing tenants since January 1, 2018), and must notify tenants in writing within two business days of a pest control operator's findings for inspected units (and all tenants for confirmed common-area infestations). Tenants must cooperate with inspections. (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1941.1(a)(6), 1954.602, 1954.603, 1954.604, 1954.605; Health & Safety Code § 17920.3(a)(12))
Does a landlord have to provide heat in California?
Yes. A unit is untenantable if it substantially lacks heating facilities that met code when installed and are kept in good working order, and lack of adequate heating is a substandard condition. State housing regulations (Title 25) require dwelling units to be able to maintain a minimum indoor temperature. (Cal. Civ. Code § 1941.1(a)(4); Health & Safety Code § 17920.3(a)(6); Cal. Code Regs., tit. 25, § 34)
Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning in California?
No state requirement to provide air conditioning and no state maximum indoor temperature for rentals. The state housing department has recommended that the Legislature consider a maximum safe indoor air temperature of 82°F for dwellings, but that recommendation is not law. (Cal. Civ. Code § 1941.1; HCD, Policy Recommendations: Recommended Maximum Safe Indoor Air Temperature (2025 Report to the Legislature, under AB 209 of 2022))
Who is responsible for smoke detectors in a rental in California?
Landlords must provide working smoke detectors that meet code in all bedrooms and other designated areas of rental units (manufactured housing such as mobilehomes is excepted), and apartment complexes also need smoke detectors in common stairwells. A rental with fossil-fuel appliances (such as a gas water heater, heater, stove or fireplace) or an attached garage must have working carbon monoxide detectors that meet code. A landlord may enter the unit with proper notice to repair, test or maintain smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. (Cal. Dept. of Real Estate, California Tenants: A Guide to Residential Tenants' and Landlords' Rights and Responsibilities (2026 ed.))
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.