diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
index 5576f915e2..337b282d70 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ uint16_t APIConnection::try_send_fan_info(EntityBase *entity, APIConnection *con
   msg.supports_speed = traits.supports_speed();
   msg.supports_direction = traits.supports_direction();
   msg.supported_speed_count = traits.supported_speed_count();
-  msg.supported_preset_modes = &traits.supported_preset_modes();
+  msg.supported_preset_modes = &traits.supported_preset_modes_ref();
   return fill_and_encode_entity_info(fan, msg, ListEntitiesFanResponse::MESSAGE_TYPE, conn, remaining_size, is_single);
 }
 void APIConnection::fan_command(const FanCommandRequest &msg) {
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ uint16_t APIConnection::try_send_light_info(EntityBase *entity, APIConnection *c
   auto *light = static_cast<light::LightState *>(entity);
   ListEntitiesLightResponse msg;
   auto traits = light->get_traits();
-  msg.supported_color_modes = &traits.get_supported_color_modes();
+  msg.supported_color_modes = &traits.get_supported_color_modes_ref();
   if (traits.supports_color_capability(light::ColorCapability::COLOR_TEMPERATURE) ||
       traits.supports_color_capability(light::ColorCapability::COLD_WARM_WHITE)) {
     msg.min_mireds = traits.get_min_mireds();
@@ -655,7 +655,7 @@ uint16_t APIConnection::try_send_climate_info(EntityBase *entity, APIConnection
   msg.supports_current_humidity = traits.get_supports_current_humidity();
   msg.supports_two_point_target_temperature = traits.get_supports_two_point_target_temperature();
   msg.supports_target_humidity = traits.get_supports_target_humidity();
-  msg.supported_modes = &traits.get_supported_modes();
+  msg.supported_modes = &traits.get_supported_modes_ref();
   msg.visual_min_temperature = traits.get_visual_min_temperature();
   msg.visual_max_temperature = traits.get_visual_max_temperature();
   msg.visual_target_temperature_step = traits.get_visual_target_temperature_step();
@@ -663,11 +663,11 @@ uint16_t APIConnection::try_send_climate_info(EntityBase *entity, APIConnection
   msg.visual_min_humidity = traits.get_visual_min_humidity();
   msg.visual_max_humidity = traits.get_visual_max_humidity();
   msg.supports_action = traits.get_supports_action();
-  msg.supported_fan_modes = &traits.get_supported_fan_modes();
-  msg.supported_custom_fan_modes = &traits.get_supported_custom_fan_modes();
-  msg.supported_presets = &traits.get_supported_presets();
-  msg.supported_custom_presets = &traits.get_supported_custom_presets();
-  msg.supported_swing_modes = &traits.get_supported_swing_modes();
+  msg.supported_fan_modes = &traits.get_supported_fan_modes_ref();
+  msg.supported_custom_fan_modes = &traits.get_supported_custom_fan_modes_ref();
+  msg.supported_presets = &traits.get_supported_presets_ref();
+  msg.supported_custom_presets = &traits.get_supported_custom_presets_ref();
+  msg.supported_swing_modes = &traits.get_supported_swing_modes_ref();
   return fill_and_encode_entity_info(climate, msg, ListEntitiesClimateResponse::MESSAGE_TYPE, conn, remaining_size,
                                      is_single);
 }
diff --git a/esphome/components/climate/climate_traits.h b/esphome/components/climate/climate_traits.h
index c3a0dfca8f..171fd0ab2f 100644
--- a/esphome/components/climate/climate_traits.h
+++ b/esphome/components/climate/climate_traits.h
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ class ClimateTraits {
   void set_supports_dry_mode(bool supports_dry_mode) { set_mode_support_(CLIMATE_MODE_DRY, supports_dry_mode); }
   bool supports_mode(ClimateMode mode) const { return this->supported_modes_.count(mode); }
   const std::set<ClimateMode> &get_supported_modes() const { return this->supported_modes_; }
+  const std::set<ClimateMode> &get_supported_modes_ref() const { return this->supported_modes_; }
 
   void set_supports_action(bool supports_action) { this->supports_action_ = supports_action; }
   bool get_supports_action() const { return this->supports_action_; }
@@ -104,11 +105,13 @@ class ClimateTraits {
     return !this->supported_fan_modes_.empty() || !this->supported_custom_fan_modes_.empty();
   }
   const std::set<ClimateFanMode> &get_supported_fan_modes() const { return this->supported_fan_modes_; }
+  const std::set<ClimateFanMode> &get_supported_fan_modes_ref() const { return this->supported_fan_modes_; }
 
   void set_supported_custom_fan_modes(std::set<std::string> supported_custom_fan_modes) {
     this->supported_custom_fan_modes_ = std::move(supported_custom_fan_modes);
   }
   const std::set<std::string> &get_supported_custom_fan_modes() const { return this->supported_custom_fan_modes_; }
+  const std::set<std::string> &get_supported_custom_fan_modes_ref() const { return this->supported_custom_fan_modes_; }
   bool supports_custom_fan_mode(const std::string &custom_fan_mode) const {
     return this->supported_custom_fan_modes_.count(custom_fan_mode);
   }
@@ -119,11 +122,13 @@ class ClimateTraits {
   bool supports_preset(ClimatePreset preset) const { return this->supported_presets_.count(preset); }
   bool get_supports_presets() const { return !this->supported_presets_.empty(); }
   const std::set<climate::ClimatePreset> &get_supported_presets() const { return this->supported_presets_; }
+  const std::set<climate::ClimatePreset> &get_supported_presets_ref() const { return this->supported_presets_; }
 
   void set_supported_custom_presets(std::set<std::string> supported_custom_presets) {
     this->supported_custom_presets_ = std::move(supported_custom_presets);
   }
   const std::set<std::string> &get_supported_custom_presets() const { return this->supported_custom_presets_; }
+  const std::set<std::string> &get_supported_custom_presets_ref() const { return this->supported_custom_presets_; }
   bool supports_custom_preset(const std::string &custom_preset) const {
     return this->supported_custom_presets_.count(custom_preset);
   }
@@ -143,6 +148,7 @@ class ClimateTraits {
   bool supports_swing_mode(ClimateSwingMode swing_mode) const { return this->supported_swing_modes_.count(swing_mode); }
   bool get_supports_swing_modes() const { return !this->supported_swing_modes_.empty(); }
   const std::set<ClimateSwingMode> &get_supported_swing_modes() const { return this->supported_swing_modes_; }
+  const std::set<ClimateSwingMode> &get_supported_swing_modes_ref() const { return this->supported_swing_modes_; }
 
   float get_visual_min_temperature() const { return this->visual_min_temperature_; }
   void set_visual_min_temperature(float visual_min_temperature) {
diff --git a/esphome/components/fan/fan_traits.h b/esphome/components/fan/fan_traits.h
index d3010cb39b..67ba651eb1 100644
--- a/esphome/components/fan/fan_traits.h
+++ b/esphome/components/fan/fan_traits.h
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ class FanTraits {
   /// Set whether this fan supports changing direction
   void set_direction(bool direction) { this->direction_ = direction; }
   /// Return the preset modes supported by the fan.
-  const std::set<std::string> &supported_preset_modes() const { return this->preset_modes_; }
+  std::set<std::string> supported_preset_modes() const { return this->preset_modes_; }
+  const std::set<std::string> &supported_preset_modes_ref() const { return this->preset_modes_; }
   /// Set the preset modes supported by the fan.
   void set_supported_preset_modes(const std::set<std::string> &preset_modes) { this->preset_modes_ = preset_modes; }
   /// Return if preset modes are supported
diff --git a/esphome/components/light/light_traits.h b/esphome/components/light/light_traits.h
index 7c99d721f0..6c083a1017 100644
--- a/esphome/components/light/light_traits.h
+++ b/esphome/components/light/light_traits.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ class LightTraits {
   LightTraits() = default;
 
   const std::set<ColorMode> &get_supported_color_modes() const { return this->supported_color_modes_; }
+  const std::set<ColorMode> &get_supported_color_modes_ref() const { return this->supported_color_modes_; }
   void set_supported_color_modes(std::set<ColorMode> supported_color_modes) {
     this->supported_color_modes_ = std::move(supported_color_modes);
   }