My tenant complained about the dishwasher that is not working well 2 months after they moved in. I hired somebody to check and repair it. The service guy said that the dishwasher was not working well because of food particles clogging the water pressure outlet in the dishwasher, so obviously the tenant do not remove food leftover from the dishes before putting in the dishwasher. Now, it is having the same problem. The tenant would like me to have it repaired. This has to stop, it is costing me hundreds of dollars. Who shall pay for the repair?

does it have a filter that she should be cleaning?  Dishwasher generally have a filter  or a hard food disposer. A hard food disposer just grinds sort of like a garbage disposal, a filter is something you need to clean from time to time.  What did the repair guy say? 

To me, if you can prove (sounds like you can) that the tenant's use is causing the clog, then they should be billed for the repair. Same as a toilet, if there is a defect in the property thats on you. If the tenant causes the blockage, its on them.

@Colleen - the repair guy said that the machine is exhausted because the food clogged the water pressure outlet. he did not mention about filter.

@Kevin Nickerson - this is going to be the second repair already with the same problem as what the repair man said, the food clogged the water pressure outlet. That means they are not rinsing their dishes before putting it in the dishwasher. I will speak to them today and tell them that they should pay for the repair.

@Raul Paredes -  You need to coach them on to properly run and operate THIS dishwasher.  Explain what the issue is and what they're doing that's causing the issue.  Explain that everything must be rinsed off before going in or the dishwasher will break down, and if that happens again then they'll be responsible for the bill + your time to set up the repair.

Most issues are communication issues.  Clearly communicate what's causing the problem and how to avoid that problem.  Then you clearly communicate the consequences if the rules aren't followed

Tenants should be responsible for repairs necessitated by abuse or neglect. However, not everyone knows how to properly use a dishwasher.

You can't prove the first issue was caused by your current tenant, though it is likely. I would have paid for that first repair and then ensure the tenants knew how to use the dishwasher properly and that they would be charged if the problem happened again. I prefer to do this in writing, even if it's a text or email, so I can point back and show the tenant was warned.

Thanks everyone for your input. It was helpful. I paid the first repair and informed her that the cause of the problem was the food that's not removed before putting the dishes in. The repair guy even told her that. I instructed her to removed the leftovers. Now this is the second time it happened and the repairman said that it's the same problem. I spoke to her and she said, who needs a dishwasher if you need to remove all the excess food from the dishes, what's the use of the dishwasher? I told her that it's the way you do it and since it is the same problem, I will not pay for repair. She said she will not have the machine repaired and the next tenant will benefit from it. She was asking me what are my responsibilities as a landlord, and I explained to her. I told her that it's her decision but I will not replace the machine or have it repaired.

Originally posted by @Raul Paredes :

Thanks everyone for your input. It was helpful. I paid the first repair and informed her that the cause of the problem was the food that's not removed before putting the dishes in. The repair guy even told her that. I instructed her to removed the leftovers. Now this is the second time it happened and the repairman said that it's the same problem. I spoke to her and she said, who needs a dishwasher if you need to remove all the excess food from the dishes, what's the use of the dishwasher? I told her that it's the way you do it and since it is the same problem, I will not pay for repair. She said she will not have the machine repaired and the next tenant will benefit from it. She was asking me what are my responsibilities as a landlord, and I explained to her. I told her that it's her decision but I will not replace the machine or have it repaired.

I’d have it repaired and bill her for it.  It is still your appliance. So if she does more damage to it she’s going to. 

Sadly a dishwasher should not be called that. It should be called a dish sanitizer, because that’s what it does.  

This also goes back to what your lease states for who is responsible for what type of repairs.  Equipment defect is on you however neglect is on them.  This appears to be neglect and I’d bill them. Don’t just take it from their security deposit I would bill them as soon as it happens.    

pull the plug.  bill her security deposit when she vacates.  plug it back in for the next tenant.  

I just did this with one of mine...do we have the same tenant?  Word for word, why do you need a dishwasher blah blah.  I know how to repair, so I dumped all the crap (lemon seeds) from the spray arms and the chamber under the filter screen on the kitchen table for her.  There was even broken lightbulb glass inside the DW.  In my state, it is legal to itemize things in/on the property and exclude them from the rental and identify them as personal property left for the benefit of the tenant.  The decision to repair or replace is mine, and mine alone.  This applies to all appliances.  If I decide to abandon an appliance, it is up to them to repair or buy their own (but only after I have given written permission based on who will install etc)

Face it, honesty and good upbringing are rare these days.