Is it legal in any state (including California where I live) to not allow a tenant to cook in their apartment?

Question

Lots of roomate ads on craigslist say *light cooking only* or say that a person cannot cook/prepare food in their own home at all..is it legal for landlords to not allow this..or to ban the use of the kitchen or standard appliances like a refridgerator or stove?

Answer 1

I have never heard of anything so stupid in my life! As long as there is a kitchen then what is the problem about cooking? Unless your just renting a room in a house that someone owns and the owners don't want their renter to use their kitchen.

Answer 2

'Roomate' rules are made between parties.

If you're renting housing as a business they're made by the State.

Most places, a rented residence has to have minimum facilities,

including a kitchen.

Answer 3

Guesthouses are not allowed stoves in many places.

Answer 4

Maybe the place is a room for rent and is not an apartment and has no stove and maybe refrigerator.  Some might try to cook on appliances so they are trying to limit what they can do in a room not in an apartment.  Or that would be my take on it.  Many hotel rooms do not have cooking facilities and many people rent a room for sleeping, not for cooking but only a place to stay and spend the night.  So I can see that they would have maybe a microwave and refrigerator but don't want an electric skillet or grill,etc. as they could be fire hazards or electrical hazards.  I don't know California law and am not an attorney, but I can certainly see that there are places a person can rent that is not an apartment and has no kitchen but it is a sleeping room.  Many people rent just sleeping rooms and it is one room with a few things, but not a kitchen where you cook.