Major appliances, such as dishwashers, refrigerators, washing machines, and dryers, are expensive to repair and even more expensive to replace. But you can avoid those repairs and keep your appliances running longer by following a few simple maintenance tips. You won't need a lot of mechanical experience to keep your appliances in perfect condition, just a little common sense and a little effort. Appliances are part of our daily lives and malfunctions can cause major interruptions.
While our refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, ovens and stoves are designed for consistent performance, they can sometimes fail. You can avoid the most serious malfunctions by performing regular maintenance of the appliance. In other words, anything the landlord includes about appliance repair responsibilities in the lease will generally be kept in court. You may even want to include an appliance repair addendum that outlines the details of liability.
Do-it-yourself appliance maintenance and repair can help with minor issues, but you need a professional if there are major issues. The bottom line is that there are no general laws on who is responsible for repairing a broken appliance. We've performed millions of GE appliance repairs on refrigerators, washers, dryers, stoves and more. An appliance inventory list is a comprehensive document that tracks the purchase, repairs, inspections, and more of every appliance in a rental property.
Never assume that tenants understand your approach to appliance repair without discussing it, simply because each landlord will handle it differently. If the lease agreement says that the tenant is responsible for repairing the appliance from the first day of occupancy, the court will confirm it. We have a clause stating that the tenant has use of the appliances, but if they fail, it is the tenant's responsibility to repair (if they choose) or replace that appliance. There is no law requiring landlords to provide appliances in a rental unit, and most states do not consider the absence of appliances to violate the habitability requirements that landlords must meet.
Because there is no one-size-fits-all approach to household appliances, from providing them in the first place to keeping an inventory or list of repairs on them, many homeowners struggle with the ins and outs of household appliances. Do not forget to check if that broken appliance is still under warranty, since the approach to repairs will vary slightly.
