Renting in LA vs. NYC, Chicago or SF: what's different
Moving to LA from NYC, Chicago, or SF changes a few things you may take for granted. California now requires a refrigerator and stove in new leases, rent rules depend on a building's age and city, and broker fee rules differ by city, so check each before you sign.
Do LA apartments come with fridges?
Since January 1, 2026, California law requires landlords to provide and maintain a working stove and refrigerator in rental units, for new, amended, or renewed leases. A tenant may use their own refrigerator by mutual agreement, with specific language in the lease. Check the appliance list in your lease.
That is according to LA County's consumer affairs department, on a page updated February 6, 2026. It adds that a unit missing a refrigerator or stove, or with either in poor working order, may be considered uninhabitable.
| What you may be used to | What is common or required in LA | Source |
|---|---|---|
| A fridge and stove come with the unit | California requires a working refrigerator and stove in new, amended, or renewed leases since January 1, 2026. A tenant can use their own refrigerator by agreement | LA County Consumer and Business Affairs |
| A broker finds the unit and may charge you | Rules differ by city. In NYC, a landlord's broker fee cannot be passed to you under the FARE Act, in effect since June 11, 2025. In LA, ask who the person works for and what any fee covers, and get it in writing | NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection |
| Rent can go up by whatever the landlord wants | Often it cannot. The state caps increases at 5% plus the change in cost of living, up to 10%, for most rental housing more than 15 years old. Units in the City of LA with certificates of occupancy before October 1, 1978 also fall under the city's rent stabilization rules | California Attorney General |
| Air conditioning is built in | Not every unit has it, so ask. LA County has new cooling requirements for most rentals in unincorporated areas, which do not cover every neighborhood | LA County Consumer and Business Affairs |
| Someone has checked the building for earthquake retrofit | Some wood-frame buildings with ground-floor parking, built under code standards enacted before 1978, are covered by the city's soft-story retrofit program. You can ask LADBS about a specific address | LADBS |
| Parking comes with the unit | Ask whether a space is included or priced separately, and read the street signs near the address for permit rules or time limits | Ask the landlord |
| Utilities are bundled into the rent | The lease decides which ones you pay, so ask for a written list | Your lease |
Is my LA apartment rent-controlled?
It may be. The Attorney General lists the City of Los Angeles rules as covering units with certificates of occupancy issued before October 1, 1978. A state cap of 5% plus the change in cost of living, up to 10%, covers most rental housing over 15 years old. Santa Monica and West Hollywood have their own rules.
The Attorney General's rent cap page (copyright 2026) says that for Los Angeles one increase is allowed in a 12-month period of 100% of the change in CPI, up to a maximum of 8%, with up to 3% allowed if CPI is under 3%. It lists a maximum of 3% for July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.
The same page lists Santa Monica for units with certificates of occupancy before April 10, 1979, and West Hollywood for units before July 1, 1979. It says many cities and counties have more protective rent stabilization ordinances than the statewide cap, and that when a unit's tenants move out and new tenants move in, the landlord may establish the initial rent.
If you are moving from SF to an LA apartment, ask whether the unit is covered and which rule applies to it. Ask for the answer in writing.
Do renters pay broker fees when moving to LA from NYC?
Rules differ by city. In NYC, the FARE Act, in effect since June 11, 2025, bars landlords from passing their hired broker's fee to tenants. Do not assume the same rule applies in Los Angeles. Ask who the person works for, what any fee covers, and get the answer in writing.
The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (page updated June 2, 2026) says the law prohibits landlords from passing on the fees of their hired brokers, and that tenants may still hire their own broker and pay that broker's fee.
Is parking included, and what is street parking like?
Parking is set by the building and the lease, so ask whether a space is included, what it costs if not, and where guests park. Street parking rules are posted on signs, and some streets have permit or time limits, so read the signs near the address before you rely on it.
A space listed in the ad is worth confirming in writing. If you are touring remotely, ask the person visiting to photograph the space, the entrance, and the street signs near the address.
Do LA apartments have air conditioning or in-unit laundry?
Not every one does, so ask. LA County's consumer affairs department notes a new County ordinance with cooling requirements for most rental units in unincorporated areas, which does not cover every LA neighborhood. Laundry can be in the unit, in the building, or off site, and the listing should say which.
If you are moving to Los Angeles from Chicago, ask how the unit stays cool in summer: a built-in system, a wall unit, or windows only. Ask for the answer in the listing or the lease.
How do I check whether a building is on the soft-story retrofit list?
LADBS runs a mandatory retrofit program for wood-frame buildings of two or more stories, built under code standards enacted before January 1, 1978, with ground-floor parking or similar open space. It does not apply to buildings with three or fewer units. You can ask LADBS about a specific building.
According to the LADBS soft-story program page, the building inventory list is available from the LADBS Custodian of Records at (213) 482-6770 or [email protected], and the Soft-Story Retrofit Unit takes questions at (213) 482-7638. The page also links a Soft-Story Compliance Report.
The list is a record of which buildings the program covers and where each one stands. It does not rate the building.
Who pays for utilities in an LA rental?
The lease decides, so ask for a written list of which utilities the rent covers and which ones are yours. Water, trash, gas, electricity, and internet are the ones to name one by one, because a building may split them differently.
Ask the same question about anything that is not in the rent. Parking, storage, pets, and appliance rental can each carry a separate charge, so get the full monthly number in writing before you commit.
What are the main things to know before renting in LA?
Get what the unit includes in writing, find out which rent rules apply to the building, and see the unit before you pay. The list below covers what to ask for. A Scout booked through Habita can tour the unit and report what they observed, including anything they could not verify.
- 1The appliance list, including the refrigerator and stove.
- 2Whether the unit falls under LA's rent stabilization rules, and what the current rent is.
- 3Whether parking is included, and what it costs if not.
- 4How the unit stays cool in summer.
- 5Which utilities you pay, named one by one.
- 6For a wood-frame building with ground-floor parking, what LADBS shows for the address.
Habita is an apartment scout service in Los Angeles: a local Scout tours the unit and sends you a report before you sign. To see how it works, read how it works. For the rest of the move, read renting in LA sight unseen, LA move-in costs, and the questions to ask before signing a lease you haven't seen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to bring my own refrigerator to an LA apartment?
Not under the 2026 rule for new, amended, or renewed leases. The landlord must provide and maintain a working refrigerator and stove, though a tenant can agree to use their own refrigerator with specific language in the lease.
Can a landlord raise my rent as much as they want in LA?
Not above the limits that apply to the unit. The state cap is 5% plus the change in cost of living, up to 10%, for most rental housing more than 15 years old, and many cities have more protective rules. Ask whether the unit is covered by LA's rent stabilization rules.
Does LA have the same rent rules as Santa Monica or West Hollywood?
No. Each city has its own coverage cutoff and yearly limit. The Attorney General's page lists certificates of occupancy before October 1, 1978 for Los Angeles, before April 10, 1979 for Santa Monica, and before July 1, 1979 for West Hollywood.
Is being on the soft-story list a safety rating?
No. It is a record of whether a building falls under the retrofit program and where it stands. Ask LADBS about a specific address.
Can a landlord set a new rent when a new tenant moves in?
The Attorney General's rent cap page says that when a unit's tenants move out and new tenants move in, the landlord may establish the initial rent. Ask what the rent has been and whether local rules apply to the building.