There have been a lot of conversations lately about the price of real estate. Just about everyone seems to agree that housing prices are very high right now, putting the goal of homeownership out of reach for so many. That leaves a lot of people with no choice but to rent, which used to be a somewhat more affordable option.
These days, rental prices can be higher than the cost of a mortgage, and a lot of people are struggling to find affordable rentals. But that’s not even the worst of it, since many say that landlords are going too far in their requirements.
Take one frustrated renter on Reddit who needed to take a moment to vent about a listing they have seen frequently over the past year. Redditor @No_Elephant9340 took to the platform to ask for clarification after a Silverlake property was listed with an odd demand, claiming that renters were prohibited from having a stove in the property. His post went viral and was picked up by the New York Post.
Now, the Redditor is feeling pretty heated (pun intended) and wants to know if California landlords are required by law to allow renters access to a stove.
silverlake landlord has “no stove allowed” on their zillow listening
by
u/No_Elephant9340 in
LARentals
The Listing Is for a 1-Bed, 1-Bath Unit
The Redditor shared a link to the Zillow listing in their post, writing, “I thought landlords were required to provide a stove and refrigerator per CA law or is that not right? This landlord has listed their Silverlake 1 bed unit and taken it down thrice this year,” the r/LARentals post said. “They relisted it earlier this week again with ‘no stove allowed’ each time.”
While the listing didn’t have the line about “no stove allowed” as of July 29, 2026, it had been removed and relisted after the OP’s post, which could’ve included edits to the listing.
However, that didn’t stop the sleuths of Reddit from getting an answer for the OP. One person shared a link to the California Apartment Association, which explained that rental units would be required to supply a working stove and refrigerator beginning January 2026.
Landlords Have Been Making Headlines This Week
If you think not being allowed to have a stove sounds wild, consider the fact that a Bay Area listing also went viral recently for tacking an extra fee onto the rental agreement for remote workers. According to ABC 7 Eyewitness News, charging people who work from home an extra fee could become popular among landlords, as some corporate housing advocates support the idea.
“It’s almost like a utility cost recovery or environmental conservation fee,” Derek Barnes, CEO of the East Bay Rental Housing Association, told the publication.
Sadly, with the rising cost of housing, tacking a work-from-home fee onto certain tenants’ bills could be enough to break the bank for many.