What Appliances Should go in Your Rental Units?
FAQs for Landlords
Q: What appliances do landlords typically provide in rental units?
A: It depends on the landlord. Some refuse to provide any appliances at all. “I find that when tenants supply their own appliances, my liability, expenses, and hassles go way down,” says Mark, the owner of a six-unit apartment building. Others provide the basics: a stove, a refrigerator, and sometimes a dishwasher. Still others add in washers and dryers for their tenants.
Q: Why such a range of appliances supplied in rental housing?
A: Much of it involves expectations. Higher-end rentals usually contain higher-end appliances—because tenants demand and will pay for them. Lower-rent units are less expensive for the tenant because there are fewer amenities. And some landlords—like Mark—simply tire of repairing or replacing appliances in their rental units, so they often require tenants to supply their own.
Q: Is the landlord responsible for repairing appliances?
A: It depends on the lease. This is a prime example of how careful rental property owners must be when preparing leases. If the lease doesn’t state responsibility for appliance repairs, the tenant is not necessarily liable.
Q What about when the tenant misuses the appliance?
A: Again, the lease is the deciding factor. Make sure you cover appliance use, repair, and maintenance in the lease.
Q: What are some guidelines for a landlord who wants to include appliances in rental property?
A: First—more features on an appliance means there’s more that can go wrong with it. Refrigerator/freezers need to keep food cold. But add an automatic ice maker, and you have one more mechanical part that can break. Whether or not an icemaker is considered necessary, if the fridge in your rental unit has one, it could be your responsibility to keep it working as it was when the tenant signed the lease.
Second—cover proper appliance use in the lease. Provide instructions for use (many original manufacture manuals are available online) and have the tenant sign off that they received the instructions and will be responsible for any repairs or replacement needed due to negligence or misuse.
Third—encourage tenants to let you know immediately if an appliance starts acting up. Often, a problem is not a big deal at first—but left unchecked, a little thing can cause plenty of damage. Ask our landlord friend Cynthia who told us recently that while her tenants were away on vacation, the water line to the ice maker started leaking. The damages to the flooring, sub-floor, and joists added up fast--over $10,000 at last count!
Finally—do your homework. Find out what other rental units in your area in the same price range include. To compete in your market, you’ll need to provide the same amenities—or lower your rent.