Gas oven in tenants apartment not working

[Albert Johnson]

I have a tenant whose gas oven isn't working. The top burners work but the oven doesn't. 

How do you usually handle these issues?

I plan to go get a first hand look at the issue and see if there is gas getting through to the oven. If it isn't I will check the switch to see if it's on or off and go from there.

[Richard F.]

Aloha,

Don't mess around with gas unless you are qualified. Having said that, it probably is just a thermocouple needing replacement. IF you for any reason pull the unit out from the wall, be very cautious of the flexible gas line. Unless it looks near new, replace it with a proper GAS connector.

[Theresa Harris]

If you know what you are doing, go over and see if you can fix it; if not, call someone to go out and look at it tomorrow.

[Tim J.]

Quote from @Albert Johnson:

...

How do you usually handle these issues?

...

 Uh, hire a professional?  

[Bill B.]

If it’s more than 5-6 years old you buy a new one. Stoves are 1/2 the price of microwaves. Ps. Even if everything else is black or white, start the conversion to stainless. 

A new stove costs maybe $600, most repairs se going to start at $250 with labor and parts. Your tenant gets a working stove the same or next day, only gets interrupted once, and feels appreciated. If they stay an extra week, much less month or year, it will pay for itself. 

[Jim K.]

@Albert Johnson

I'm completely with @Bill B. on this one, except I prefer white appliances in my C-class $1K rental market. Always replace with new where you can, always have store muscle haul the appliance to its designated place and haul the old one away. Don't jack your tenants up when it comes to appliances, that's one of the defining mark of the small-minded hobby landlord looking to pinch pennies at the expense of their tenants.

That being said, in my market segment, here are two cautionary notes: you will tenants who are just hard on appliances, and there's nothing you can do about it short of getting rid of them. It's perfectly fine to go with used appliances if you're waiting out a lease, although usually when you put it down on paper, you're only going to save a minimum amount of money over the long haul.

Laundry in SFR can be a special case. You will sometimes find that single-mother tenants tend to know other single-mother tenants, and those tenants tend to come over regularly and do their laundry free in your tenant's washer and dryer, instead of paying to get it done at a laundromat.

[Bill B.]

Ps. I tried twice to “update” my post and typed out a long update only to have it not update the post…anyway…

***change “1/2 the price of a microwave” to “1/2 the price of a refrigerator”. I was going to say cheaper than any appliance other than a microwave and changed my mind…I don’t believe you can get a stove for half the price of a microwave. 
. 
pps. The forum software still sucks on an iPad. If I hit return twice to start a new paragraph at the end of “microwave.” Above the cursor jumps to the empty line between anyway… and *** change everytime. So I have to type a “ .” On the blank line. 
.  (Notice the .?). 
  . 
ppps (if that’s a thing) Jim k you can have all my white appliances. They scream 1990’s to me. :-) like glass and brass light fixtures. 

[Albert Johnson]

Thanks everyone.  I have decided to replace the stove with a new one.

[Albert Johnson]

Another issue has come up. We ordered a new gas stove. It is getting delivered today  He wasn't available during delivery times during the week. 

Before that there was an issue with the refrigerator and it wasn't cooling.

We had it fix before, now today he is saying it is warm and not cooling

I asked him last week were all the appliances working and is the refrigerator working. He said yes.

He says he wants reimbursement for groceries or reduction in rent.

I said the earliest I can get there is tomorrow.

Also we have a separate garage. We originally told him it was the landlords before he signed the lease.

I said if he wants to use it, it would be a monthly fee.

He conveniently put some of his items in there without asking. Should i charge him?

[Albert Johnson]

Also I asked him this

You told us last week it was fine.

When did this start? Why didn't you say anything sooner?

he replied 

It was cooling just fine up until mid day yesterday, when I got home last night at 11pm it was warm.

[Chris Seveney]

@Albert Johnson

How

Old is it?

Simple answer is fix it

[Richard F.]

Quote from @Albert Johnson:

Before that there was an issue with the refrigerator and it wasn't cooling.

We had it fix before, now today he is saying it is warm and not cooling

I asked him last week were all the appliances working and is the refrigerator working. He said yes.

He says he wants reimbursement for groceries or reduction in rent.

I said the earliest I can get there is tomorrow.

Also we have a separate garage. We originally told him it was the landlords before he signed the lease.

I said if he wants to use it, it would be a monthly fee.

He conveniently put some of his items in there without asking. Should i charge him?

There is nothing unusual about the refrigerator failure...they very typically just stop cooling. It is not noticeable until the food actually starts getting warm, and that will depend on how full the refer/freezer is, and how often someone opens the door. Usually your first indication is when drinking something from the refer.

Tell the Tenant to make a claim for his food with his Renter's Insurance policy, you have no liability. That is one of the main reasons TO have Renter's Insurance!

Why does the Tenant have any access to the garage, do you not keep it secured? What does your Rental Agreement state regarding the garage? Is it specifically excluded? If this is a single family home, and you simply identify the property address in the Agreement, without excluding it, you may have a problem trying to assert your position. If, on the other hand, you DO have this in writing, then send him a letter giving him 10 days to remove it or you will.

[Albert Johnson]

Thanks.  

There are 3 units/ houses on the property along with a separate 2 car garage. One side of the garage is dented at the bottom, so anyone can pull it up.

I will check the lease again. I do recall writing out the rental and property boundaries.

[Albert Johnson]

Quote from @Chris Seveney:

@Albert Johnson

How

Old is it?

Simple answer is fix it

 We plan to fix it but he was requesting money for groceries or rent adjustment.

I'll go with what Richard said.

thanks again 

[Scott Mac]

I prefer them to have electric stoves, and electric water heaters--two less things for them blow themselves and the other units to Smithereens.

Those coiled gas lines do leak from time to time, and the other things I don't like in the units are candles (open candles or religious candles in a colored glass from the local grocery store) or live Christmas trees. (no statistics on this, but over the years these seem to be problematical in apartments).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvVGCBRJT-g

https://lasvegassun.com/news/2004/jan/22/toll-from-candle-fires-mounts/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhkI9UITYOo