Bill
AB 628
California AB 628 requires landlords to keep stoves and refrigerators in working order as part of tenant habitability, repair/replace recalled units within 30 days, starting 2026.
Note: the materials you supplied appear to describe two different bills that share the same bill number in different jurisdictions. Below are concise, separate summaries for each so readers can see the content, intent, and status of both measures.
1) California — AB 628 (McKinnor) — Housing: tenantability (stove & refrigerator)
- Purpose and intent
- Amend Civil Code §1941.1 to add functioning stoves and refrigerators to the list of basic habitability (tenantability) features required in rental dwellings, and to require landlords to promptly repair or replace recalled units.
- Key provisions
- Adds two required characteristics for a dwelling to be tenantable (applies to leases entered into, amended, or extended on or after Jan 1, 2026):
- A stove maintained in good working order and capable of safely generating heat for cooking; a recalled stove is not considered safe.
- A refrigerator maintained in good working order and capable of safely storing food; a recalled refrigerator is not considered safe.
- Landlord duty on recalls: landlord must repair or replace a stove or refrigerator subject to manufacturer or public-entity recall within 30 days of receiving notice of the recall.
- Tenant-provided refrigerator option: landlord and tenant may mutually agree at lease signing that the tenant will provide and maintain their own refrigerator if (a) the lease contains a specific checkbox/statement, (b) tenant can rescind that arrangement with 30 days’ written notice (after which landlord must install a refrigerator), (c) landlord may not condition tenancy on tenant providing the unit, and (d) landlord is not responsible for maintenance of tenant’s appliance.
- Exemptions: requirements for stove/refrigerator do not apply to certain unit types, including permanent supportive housing, single-room-occupancy units, residential hotel units, and units within facilities with shared/communal kitchens (including some assisted living).
- Preserves tenant remedies: requirement to repair/replace recalled units does not limit tenants’ rights to exercise remedies under Civil Code §1942 (e.g., repair-and-deduct, vacate, or other remedies for untenantability).
- Who is affected
- Landlords/property owners (new repair/replace duties and disclosure/lease language obligations), tenants (right to functional appliances; optional to provide own refrigerator under conditions), property managers, and housing enforcement bodies.
- Timeline / status
- Applies to qualifying leases on or after Jan 1, 2026. Legislative history indicates the bill was passed and chaptered: Approved by Governor and Chaptered (Chapter 342, Statutes of 2025) — effective per standard state practice (note applicability to new/renewed leases begins 1/1/2026).
2) Wisconsin — AB-0628 (Doyle et al.) — Allow renters to claim Veterans & Surviving Spouses Property Tax Credit
- Purpose and intent
- Expand eligibility for the Wisconsin Veterans and Surviving Spouses Property Tax Credit (VPTC) to allow eligible veteran/surviving-spouse renters to claim a rent‑based equivalent of property taxes.
- Key provisions
- Define “rent constituting property taxes” as a percentage of rent paid for a principal dwelling: 20% if heat is included in rent; 25% if heat is not included.
- Allow eligible veteran or surviving spouse renters to claim VPTC equal to their rent‑constituting property taxes.
- The change shifts some claimants who previously used the School Property Tax Credit (SPTC) to the VPTC.
- Fiscal impact (per Wisconsin Department of Revenue fiscal note, 11/17/2025)
- Estimated increase in VPTC claims ≈ 16.7% (based on comparison to SPTC distributions) → increases VPTC appropriation by ~ $15.5 million annually (FY 2027 baseline).
- Net annual state cost after reduced SPTC claims: approximately $14.1 million beginning FY 2027.
- Administrative costs: ~$190,700 one‑time and ~$129,400 ongoing; department anticipates staffing and systems changes and cannot absorb those costs without additional appropriation.
- Who is affected
- Eligible veterans and surviving spouses who rent; state tax administration (DOR); state budget/appropriations.
- Timeline / status
- As of the fiscal note (11/17/2025) the bill was under consideration by Wisconsin legislative committees (introduced and referred to Ways & Means). Fiscal estimates use FY2027 as the first full-year budget impact.
If you want, I can: (a) focus a single, expanded summary on the California AB 628 only (or the Wisconsin AB‑0628 only), (b) extract exact statutory text changes, or (c) prepare a short explainer for landlords or tenants about rights and obligations under the California law. Which would you prefer?
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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