Is a cracked fridge top damage from the tenant?

Question

The fridge is GE and is 3 and a half years old. The top of the left door cracked today.

Is this just a freak accident or damage from the tenant? I saw on another forum that someone said they had a cracked fridge top, on the corner though and it was from his two kids slamming the fridge door.

Nathan Gesner · Answer

400 rentals for over a decade and I've never had that happen. It's on the hinge side, so I doubt it's caused by slamming the door. I suspect it was either damaged during installation or it's a manufacture defect.

James Hamling · Answer

@Suong Luu nothing about that looks like normal use failure, it was without doubt damage from some action done to it. I doubt slamming but someone pulling down on and open door, or up, something extreme and not normal, the damage shows that rather clearly.

If tenant damage or not is easily answered from comparison of there move-in inspection, it's just that simple.

Daniel Smyth · Answer

@Suong Luu

Could be from slamming the door when things are in the way. There should be damage inside too. Not normal wear at all.

Bill B. · Answer

I don’t think you could physically do that from slamming door. MAYBE if it was lying on its back so gravity was on your side. Looks more like installation damage. Someone lifting/moving the fridge by the door.

If the door still opens/closes fine I’d leave as is until dead. If no longer works unfortunately a new fridge is probably better idea than new door. If nothing else was damaged/abused in the property I wouldn’t think tenant damage, whereas if many things were damaged I would.

Is a cracked fridge top damage from the tenant?

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