Check Your Lease
Before asking your landlord for new appliances, the primary thing you have to do is re-read your lease documents. While the appliance may have come with the house, your lease may enumerate that your landlord is under no obligation to repair or replace them. Other leases put that responsibility on the tenant rather. Despite the fact that your lease states that your landlord isn’t contractually required to replace faulty appliances, you can still ask. You will need to tailor your argument with your specific situation in mind.
Check State Law
Landlord-tenant laws differ from state to state. In some states, the law requires a landlord to keep all of the appliances in good working order – no matter what the lease says. If you live in such a state, this is the knowledge that you can provide to help you persuade your landlord to replace a broken appliance. Even though your state does not even have a requirement, it is necessary to have a good working understanding of what the law does and doesn’t cover so that you can indicate that in your request.
Explain the Benefits – and the Costs
As you prepare to draft your request, carefully develop all the reasons why your landlord should replace an old or broken appliance. Try to analyze the situation from your landlord’s perspective and explain how new appliances will not only benefit you but also offer benefits to your landlord. New appliances often require much less repair compared to older ones, which will undoubtedly save your landlord time and money in the long run. They are also more energy-efficient and may have rebates your landlord can use to save money. You can also state that new appliances will help your landlord find new tenants more easily after moving out.
Never forget to mention your careful observation of the lease terms, your on-time rent payments, and so on. What is more, it’s significant to explain all of the ways that you, the good tenant, have been negatively impacted by the malfunctioning appliance(s). From high utility bills to spoiled food, mention any risks that broken appliances pose to your health and budget. If your landlord understands how unhappy you are with the situation, that might motivate them to agree to your requests.
Offer to Help
Most landlords are very busy and don’t have much time to spend on any one tenant. Make granting your request for new appliances easy by sending along some research on good quality brands and deals on new appliances in your area. You can also offer to help remove and set up the new appliance if you have the skills needed to do so. By approaching your landlord with good information and offers to help, you can give them a lot of valid reasons to say yes.
Keep It Reasonable
If you delivered your best arguments and your landlord still refuses to replace the appliances or perhaps claims that they can’t afford to do so, there’s another alternative you can do. If possible, offer to pay for half of the appliance yourself, mostly if you expect to stay in the rental home for an extended period. If your landlord approves your proposal, be sure to get all of the details in writing, including the appliance’s total cost. Find an appliance that is both reasonably priced and good quality – going too extravagant may cause your agreement to end before you get the appliance you want. Finally, being able to recommend a brand and a great value at a local store may encourage your landlord to agree to your request.
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