August 25th, 2026
Requested Agenda Item: Cooling Standards for Residential/Commercial Properties
Items for Consideration
Establishment of a Maximum Indoor Temperature Threshold for Residential and Commercial Rental Units
Background: Butte County experienced record-breaking heat in July of 2024, with average daily highs between 110 - 114 degrees fahrenheit (Porter 2024). Anecdotally, these conditions had an especially burdensome effect on residential renters and commercial lessees in the food industry.
Extreme heat is currently the deadliest weather hazard in the United States, with the elderly, young children, people with underlying health conditions, and residents of disadvantaged communities most at risk (Lee and Dessler 2023).
Introduction to Solution
The County of Los Angeles is taking action to alleviate the disproportionate effects of extreme heat due to climate change on renters by passing legislation to enforce cooling standards in residential rental units. The ordinance pertains specifically to the geographically unincorporated reaches of Los Angeles County, where extreme heat has reportedly had the greatest effects on Los Angeles residents. The ordinance was later amended to include an exemption for small property owners to meet the standard in one habitable room rather than the entire property up until 2032.
In a report to the legislature, the CA Department of Housing and Community Development recommended a general maximum safe indoor temperature standard for all residential dwelling units. The recommended policies focus on newly constructed building standard updates and incentivising programs for passive and low-energy cooling strategies (CDHCD 2025). The Research and Development Organization published a study determining that the Los Angeles County ordinance could overstrain the energy grid if a drastic increase of window cooling units were to be installed, and that renters energy bills could be expected to increase (Park et. al. 2025).
Office of Councilmember Katie Hawley
411 Main Street
Chico, CA 95927
Policy Recommendation:
I recommend that the City Council discuss the potential benefits and consequences of establishing a maximum indoor temperature threshold for rental residential and commercial units within the City of Chico’s jurisdiction.
Materials Referenced
Lee, J., and Dessler, A. Future Temperature-Related Deaths in the U.S.: The Impact of Climate Change, Demographics, and Adaptation. Journal of GeoHealth Vol. 7 Is. 8. 2023.
Los Angeles County Code, Chapter 11.20 of Title 11.
https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/bos/supdocs/205510.pdf Park, H., Klima, K., Charan, S., and Aguilera, J. Identifying Resilient, Sustainable Cooling Strategies for Los Angeles. 2025.
https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA3563-1.html Policy Recommendations: Recommended Maximum Safe Indoor Air Temperature. The California Department of Housing and Community Development. 2025. https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/policy-and-research/plan-report/ab-209-policy-re commendations.pdf
Porter, Greg. California’s Hottest July Ever: 43 counties hit all-time highs. San Francisco Chronicle. 2024.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/weather/article/california-hottest-month-19628676.php