Tenant Says Her Fridge Suddenly Died and Ruined All Her Groceries and Her Landlord Told Her to Buy a New One Herself
What started as a normal weekend quickly turned into a frustrating situation she didn’t see coming. The refrigerator that came with her apartment suddenly stopped working, and everything inside spoiled before she could do anything about it. It wasn’t a minor issue. It meant losing groceries she had already paid for and scrambling to figure out what to do next.
The Fridge Wasn’t Hers to Begin With
This wasn’t an appliance she brought with her. The fridge came with the unit, and her lease clearly states that the landlord provides a refrigerator. That detail felt important, especially once she reached out for help and expected a straightforward fix.
Her Landlord’s Response Caught Her Off Guard
When she contacted him, his response was immediate and firm. He told her appliances were the tenant’s responsibility and suggested she replace it herself.
When she pushed back and pointed out the lease, his explanation shifted. He claimed that since he had provided the fridge, she was now responsible for replacing it because, in his view, she “broke” it.
The Problem Doesn’t Add Up
From her perspective, that doesn’t make sense. The fridge is older, likely from around 2008, and simply stopped working. There was no damage or misuse that would explain the failure.
It feels more like normal wear and tear than anything she caused, which makes his stance even more frustrating.
Now She’s Stuck Deciding What to Do
She doesn’t want to spend her own money replacing an appliance that wasn’t hers to begin with. At the same time, living without a fridge isn’t realistic. That’s left her weighing options she never expected to deal with.
The Options All Come With Risk
One idea is to withhold rent until the issue is addressed, but that could escalate things quickly and create bigger problems.
Another option is to buy a used fridge just to get by and take it with her when she moves out, but that still means paying out of pocket for something she doesn’t believe is her responsibility.
The Stress Is Building
Between losing food, dealing with a broken appliance, and getting pushback from her landlord, the situation has become overwhelming fast.
What should have been a simple maintenance request has turned into a bigger conflict about responsibility and fairness.
The Question She’s Facing
She’s trying to figure out what makes the most sense moving forward without putting herself in a worse position.
At the center of it is a simple issue that now feels much bigger. Who should actually be responsible for replacing a fridge that came with the apartment and stopped working on its own?
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