Demand for New Appliance - Landlord Forum thread

Demand for New Appliance by Anonymous on August 20, 2012 @21:09

Am I responsible to replace appliance that was left by former tenant? I did not state anywhere in the current lease that I would be supplying appliances or it being included in apartment, however the new tenants took the apartment anyway with the old appliances in place. It was not the best decision on my part but I repair the refrigerator when it needed it a few months ago - but now it is in need of repair again. The tenants says that I am responsible in replacing it since they took the apartment with it being there and that is how they saw the apartment in the first place. I usually rent this unit without appliances. Not sure on how to handle this.

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Re: Demand for New Appliance by Freda DeMarco (GA) on August 20, 2012 @21:29	[ Reply ]

Did you advertise the apartment as having that appliance, as a feature to entice a tenant? A refrigerator is pretty much a given in an apartment, it isn't like a microwave that someone can pack up in their car when they go rent another place. How old is it? more than 10 years and you should consider replacing it and it is an appliance that STAYS with the apartment, make that clear to the tenant or they will think it is theirs. I don't supply a washer a dryer, just the hook-ups, but the previous tenant left his, I make this clear, I don't advertise anything more than hook-ups, I explain when I show the house about the washer and dryer, I have a laminated notice attached to it, re-stating that it was left by previous tenant, if it fails to work I will remove them or the tenant can call for repairs at their cost or buy new ones. But a washer and dryer are not necessities, like a fridge. Who thinks an apartment does not include a fridge?, next thing a toilet becomes a luxury and you give the tenant a bucket and wash cloth?

Re: Demand for New Appliance

Re: Demand for New Appliance by Jake on August 20, 2012 @21:51	[ Reply ]

This question comes up from time to time. If you are not including the appliances as part of the rent package then why did you show them to the tenant? Why did you fail to point out at the showing that the appliances were not a part of the rental? Why didn't you take them out before the showing. Get a new refrigerator. What you did was a poor landlord practice.

Re: Demand for New Appliance

Re: Demand for New Appliance by Franklin (TN) on August 21, 2012 @00:04	[ Reply ]

I seriously have never heard of an apartment without a fridge. Like the previous poster stated, who lugs those around from apartment to apartment. I can see a house because you'll stay there for a long time. Though most homes these days include them as well (almost all homes did when I was buying my new house earlier this year). I'm pretty sure you don't have to state you are including the appliances. That's a given in most every area I know of, though I've not researched every area in the US, so don't call me a moron if your area normally doesn't include them. You would have to state if you were NOT including the appliances, however, or including them as is only, and make that very, very clear. As the other poster said about w/d hookups, he doesn't advertise the w/d, he just advertises the hookups and made it abundantly clear that if the w/d breaks, he will not fix and likely had that clause highlighted in his lease. If the tenants looked at the place with appliances and you did not make it very, very clear to them that these appliances were holdovers and were not covered on the lease, you have to replace the fridge. It's not a thing that's "nice to have" and considered a luxury. It's a very important part of a kitchen.

Re: Demand for New Appliance

Re: Demand for New Appliance by Anonymous on August 21, 2012 @00:20	[ Reply ]

It really depends on your market and price point. As others said most apartments provide refrigerators, while most SFH's do not. This is because most apartment dwellers usually move in with very little in the way of belongings and don't lug a refrigerator from place to place with them. Depending on the tenants and the price point I'd either buy them a used refrigerator or a new one according to the rent level. Meaning for a $400 a month apt I'd go either with a new lower end unit or a used unit (take your chances, I find that by the time I run around looking for a decent used unit I can just buy a $400 new one delivered and be done. If you are higher end then you probably need stainless, and LG or Samsung or Bosch, etc. I have a Kenmore in my house, it keeps my beer just as cold as a Sub-Zero and the money I saved I used for the down payment on another rental.

Re: Demand for New Appliance

Re: Demand for New Appliance by Anonymous on August 21, 2012 @01:48	[ Reply ]

The tenants are thinking it came with a refrigerator, so you should probably repair or replace it. Is the repair too expensive this time around? Have you thought about waiting a month and giving them a thirty day notice that the place will no longer be available to rent? Start over with new tenants? I replaced a big ticket item for one of my past tenants and the next month it was another large item demand, so I just gave them a thirty day notice at that point. The next time I rented to a much nicer couple, and things got much better on my end of things. I'm not into trying to please every tenant, or I would have been out of business years ago.

Re: Demand for New Appliance

Re: Demand for New Appliance by Stephen (WA) on August 21, 2012 @15:31	[ Reply ]

Whether a unit includes appliances seems to vary by area and time. Eons ago when I was first a tenant rentals were advertised as (1) furnished: bed, bureau, kitchen table & chairs, refer & range; (2) unfurnished: bare apartment w/o appliances; (3) semi-furnished: usually included appliances & nothing else. Now everything seems to include appliances, which is what I provide in my rentals. So, if your competition provides appliances, then you will need to also.