Pending Legislation Every Landlord Should Know About

A lot of property owners know about the numerous laws that have been passed in the last few years, but many don’t keep up to date on what’s coming next. Some bills disappear, some get watered down, and a few make it through in their original form. Today I want to discuss two proposed laws that could have a big impact on you as a property owner.

SB 436 – Extending the Pay or Quit Notice

This bill changes the standard 3-day notice to pay or quit into a 14-day notice. On the surface, 14 days doesn’t sound terrible — until you realize weekends and holidays don’t count. That means we’re talking about close to three full weeks before you can even file for eviction.

To use an example, let’s say rent is due September 1st and your lease allows a 5-day grace period. On September 6th (a Saturday), your tenant hasn’t paid. You serve the 14-day notice. Because the 6th is a weekend, the clock doesn’t start until September 8th. The 14 days then run out on the 25th, which means you can’t file for eviction until September 26th. This is adding 14 days to an already long eviction timeline. Under the current 3-day system, you’d be able to start eviction by September 12th.

That’s a two-week delay in starting an eviction — time during which you’re still covering the mortgage, taxes, insurance, and upkeep while receiving nothing in return. The longer a tenant is not paying, the more leverage they have to drag things out and the more financial loss you carry.

SB 628 – Mandatory Appliances

This bill would require landlords to install stoves and refrigerators in any unit where a lease is started, amended, or extended after January 1, 2026. The requirement applies broadly to both houses and apartments, with only three exemptions: buildings with communal kitchens, single-room occupancy units, and permanent supportive housing.

While I think it’s reasonable to expect stoves in every unit and refrigerators in smaller spaces like one-bedrooms or studios, forcing this requirement across all property types creates an unnecessary burden. Houses, in particular, are often rented by tenants who already have their own refrigerator or who want to purchase a newer model. In those cases, a landlord may be forced to provide and maintain an appliance that isn’t even wanted. The bigger issue here is that the law removes the landlord’s ability to negotiate lease terms based on the specific property and tenant situation. That lack of flexibility is the problem, not the appliances themselves. It’s also worth pointing out that the bill stops short of requiring landlords to provide washers and dryers, even when laundry hookups already exist.

Final Thoughts

Both of these bills, if passed, will significantly change how landlords operate in Long Beach and across California. SB 436 slows down the eviction process to a crawl, while SB 628 eliminates flexibility in how landlords and tenants can negotiate the details of a lease. Neither bill solves a real problem, but both add costs and delays that ultimately fall on property owners.

As always, I suggest you do your own research and track these bills closely. Here are direct links to the texts of these and a couple of related ones (AB 863 & SB 681) that may also impact your property ownership:

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