Why California backed down from forcing landlords to keep residents cool

Toad’s Market owner Memphis Perez restocks his store in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles during a hot summer afternoon on Aug. 25, 2025. The store does not have a fan or an AC unit. (Photo by Jules Hotz for CalMatters)

Toad’s Market owner Memphis Perez stands behind the counter of his store in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles during a hot summer afternoon on Aug. 25, 2025. The store does not have a fan or an AC unit. (Photo by Jules Hotz for CalMatters)

A small AC unit sits in the upper window of a building in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles on Aug. 25, 2025. (Photo by Jules Hotz for CalMatters)

Tomatoes in plastic bags at Toad’s Market in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, during a hot summer afternoon on Aug. 25, 2025. Becaus