14-year-old fridge stopped working. Recommendations?

Question

Hi everyone.

Tenants reported that the fridge has stopped working (no cooling, no light), and that they did not tamper with it. The fridge still does not turn on when plugged into a different working electric outlet. So the issue is likely the unit, not the power source.

I have no proof that the tenants misused the fridge. The tenants have been here for 2 years. They are hard on appliances (big family), and I already had to replace a few appliances that are 10+ years old. Other than that, the tenants behave well.

A repair person will cost $150 just to show up. Not sure if he can tell that the tenant broke the unit.

Replacing the fridge with a new one will cost about $1000.

If the tenants caused the issue, I want to hold them accountable. But I feel I may not have enough information to conclude that.

Given the age of the fridge, I'm thinking maybe just replace it, and give the tenants some care instructions, like not overloading it and leaving some space between it and the wall.

Thoughts?

Cheers,

Paul

Chris Seveney · Answer

@Paul S.

Even if it was caused by then you would never be able to prove it and the cost to prove it would be more than what they should contribute since the fridge with depreciation is almost worthless.

This but a new fridge and keep the tenant happy

Nathan Gesner · Answer

If an appliance is over 10 years old, I will not repair it unless I know it's an easy fix. If I'm unsure of what's wrong, I'll just replace it. You probably paid less than $500 for it new, and it now has a street value of less than $100 when it's working. Why spend $150+ to repair it?

There's really nothing the tenant could do to abuse the fridge and cause it to stop turning on. It sounds like a blown fuse inside the unit, but I probably wouldn't bother trying to find out.

Zach Norton · Answer

find a used refrigerator on craigslist or facebook marketplace or some local reuse store. No reason to buy a brand new unit if the tenants are hard on appliances

Paul S. · Answer

Thanks so much for your advice, everyone!

Bud Gaffney · Answer

@Paul S. Get them a fridge.

Carlos Ptriawan · Answer

overhere I could get $6k appliance used for 800 bucks.I can't believe you want to fix/charge tenant for 14 years old fridge. Like seriously :) :) those fridge belong to the dumpster.

Theresa Harris · Answer

If it was me and I had tenants that were hard on appliances, I'd looked for a used one.

Bob S. · Answer

This is why I never supply appliances. If they break its your problem. If they tenant brings them and it breaks its their problem. What do to, replace them you have no choice,

Richard F. · Answer

Aloha,

On one hand, getting 14 years out of any appliance is unusual these days, I would recommend to my Client to simply replace it.

On the other hand, it COULD be something simple, like the power cord chewed through or getting pulled loose from its terminals (not the plug end, the connection at the equipment). ALSO, over the past 30 years I have had several refers where the tenants decided to defrost the freezer...using a sharp knife or ice pick, and puncturing the cooling lines. Of course, they did not mention anything about a sudden burst of gas and a slimy yellow liquid appearing in the freezer... and there were no prior complaints about operation or unusual buildup of ice. If you can get eyes on the refer without spending the $150, it might be worth it for peace of mind.

14-year-old fridge stopped working. Recommendations?

Most Popular Reply