Fridge: Cold air not getting into fridge area

[pixelrogue1]

What is the name of your state? PA

Hello everyone,

Noticed a trend over the years of prospective tenants asking if the refrigerator was included in the rent. From the perspective of someone moving II could't imagine having to move with a fridge, so I have always included the refrigerator.

Have a tenant who's fridge stopped cooling (freezer fine.) I was notified last night, and suggested packing perishables temporarily and letting the fridge/freezer thaw (frost, ice around coils etc.) If this doesn't work I would review Monday and check for thermostat etc. Fridge was replaced two years ago.

Tenant sends message with photos of a packed fridge and freezer and mentions a bunch of spoiled goods. Now I am starting to understand why fridges are NOT included as part of the rent. I am actively working w/the tenant and will inspect in person tomorrow.

While I am actively working to get this fixed, what am I legally responsible for in terms of lost food so I know in advance?

 

[Zigner]

You might be - your lease should include a clause the fridge is provided for convenience only and that the tenant is 100% responsible for maintenance/repair of the refrigerator and that you (the LL) assume no responsibility of any kind for any malfunction of the fridge.

Edit: If you wanted to be nice, you could include that you would repair it, but that you won't be responsible for any damages/loss of food, etc., caused by a malfunction.

 

[adjusterjack]

your lease should include a clause the fridge is provided for convenience only and that the tenant is 100% responsible for maintenance/repair of the refrigerator and that you (the LL) assume no responsibility of any kind for any malfunction of the fridge.

Exactly what I did with my rentals. Then, as each refrigerator died, I got rid of it and rented the houses out without one. The tenants all managed to bring their own.

 

[FarmerJ]

When I was growing up I had a number of relatives who did rent and had to have their own fridges and stoves because unless a rental was a so called luxury unit stoves and fridges were not included. As to spoiled food and tenant sense of entitlement If a tenant is not willing to take steps to move foods into picnic type coolers or move excess items to a friends or relatives home and the landlord did not take a excessive time to address the repair Id argue that the tenant could have done more to reduce spoilage and the LL wasn't obligated to pay for tenant spoilage . Short lesson in this , keep a spare fridge in your own garage or somewhere dry and reasonably clean at your own home so when something like this comes up you will have one to bring over to the rental until you can get the other repaired OR you can remove the original one and take it home, have it repaired and end of discussion . THEN when the rental becomes vacant Seriously re consider including fridge , stove, washer, dryer. In the end you can reduce the rent just a bit and that in itself might let a tenant want to stay on longer. ( if your rental unit has gas cooking and clothes dryer connections your free to put it into a new lease for a new tenant that they cannot make gas line connections them selfs but must use a licensed contractor OR you will arrange for it to be done for them. ( If the home has both gas and electric cooking and dryer connections you might want to consider having those gas line connections removed so no one is doing any gas connections and all they have to do is plug in the stove , dryer and connect dryer vent. ) ( moving sales can be not a bad way to get used appliances for spares and a lot of communities do have decent used appliance shops.)

 

[Gail in Georgia]

If you provide a refrigerator (and I do) add a clause in your lease that it is for the convenience of the tenant and, in the case of a needed repair, you will not be responsible for the cost of any claimed spoiled food.

Otherwise don't be surprised if your tenants suddenly claim they've lost thousands in spoiled lobster, shrimp and expensive beef steaks.

Gail

 

[FlyingRon]

I went to Home Depot which was unnecessary. I need to go to Apartment Depot which is just a bunch of people sayin "We dont have to fix ----"

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state? PA

Hello everyone,

Noticed a trend over the years of prospective tenants asking if the refrigerator was included in the rent. From the perspective of someone moving II could't imagine having to move with a fridge, so I have always included the refrigerator.

Have a tenant who's fridge stopped cooling (freezer fine.) I was notified last night, and suggested packing perishables temporarily and letting the fridge/freezer thaw (frost, ice around coils etc.) If this doesn't work I would review Monday and check for thermostat etc. Fridge was replaced two years ago.

Tenant sends message with photos of a packed fridge and freezer and mentions a bunch of spoiled goods. Now I am starting to understand why fridges are NOT included as part of the rent. I am actively working w/the tenant and will inspect in person tomorrow.

While I am actively working to get this fixed, what am I legally responsible for in terms of lost food so I know in advance?

You got good ideas from everyone else, but I wanted to add that where I live, the trend is for the landlord to provide appliances, and in fact, its harder to rent units without appliances. Even with used appliances, most people don't have the money to buy all the appliances all at the same time, particularly when they have just had to come up with first and last month's rent and a security deposit.

 

[FarmerJ]

Yes if local markets are such where lack of stoves and fridges can leave you with a unit NO ONE wants then by all means include them BUT make sure you own back up spares even if they take up space in your garage take up the space in a shed since swapping a fridge or stove may indeed be a lot faster than waiting for a repair person to come out and you can always still have the repair person come out but it will be to your place to service it or junk it and find a replacement spare again to sit until needed.

 

[LdiJ]

Yes if local markets are such where lack of stoves and fridges can leave you with a unit NO ONE wants then by all means include them BUT make sure you own back up spares even if they take up space in your garage take up the space in a shed since swapping a fridge or stove may indeed be a lot faster than waiting for a repair person to come out and you can always still have the repair person come out but it will be to your place to service it or junk it and find a replacement spare again to sit until needed.

That is very practical advice.

 

[FarmerJ]

LdiJ back when I had the four plex and one SFH and another former duplex that was decertified to a SFH , I had 3 stoves and two fridges as spares , those stoves were Electric and they were 50.00 each when I got them and the 2 fridges If I remember correctly one was a rummage sale one in not bad shape for 20.00 another was a moving sale for 25.00 and anyway , it worked out well.