If the appliances in your Laurel rental home are obsolete or aren’t working properly, you may be thinking about asking your landlord to replace them. Even though you might have good reasons to ask for new appliances, there are both right and wrong ways to go about it. Before you call or send an email to your landlord with your request, it’s imperative to perform some preparation first. After using a few quick tips, you can craft a request that your landlord will have a hard time saying no to.
Check Your Lease
Before asking your landlord for new appliances, the first step you should do is re-read your lease documents. Although the appliance may have come with the house, your lease may state that your landlord is under no obligation to repair or replace them. Other leases impose that responsibility on the tenant instead. Although your lease states that your landlord isn’t contractually required to replace faulty appliances, you can still request. You’ll need to tailor your argument with your specific situation in mind.
Check State Law
Landlord-tenant laws differ from state to state. In certain states, the law requires a landlord to keep all of the appliances in good working order – irrespective of what the lease says. If you reside in such a state, here are the details you should use to help persuade your landlord to replace a broken appliance. Regardless of whether your state doesn’t have such a requirement, it’s a nice thing to have a good working understanding of what the law does and doesn’t cover so that you can justify that in your request.
Explain the Benefits – and the Costs
As you prepare to draft your request, take a moment to develop all the reasons why your landlord should replace an old or broken appliance. Attempt to examine the situation from your landlord’s perspective and explain how new appliances will not only benefit you but offer benefits to your landlord as well. New appliances typically require much less repair than older ones, which will potentially save your landlord time and money in the long run. They are also more energy-efficient and may have rebates your landlord can use to save money. You could also discuss that new appliances will help your landlord find new tenants more easily after moving out.
Don’t forget to mention your careful observation of the lease terms, your on-time rent payments, and so on. Moreover, it’s imperative to explain all of the ways that you, the good tenant, have been negatively impacted by the malfunctioning appliance(s). From high utility bills to spoiled food, discuss any risks that broken appliances pose to your health and budget. If your landlord understands how unhappy you are with the situation, that might motivate them to agree to your requests.
Offer to Help
Most landlords are very engaged in many things and don’t have a lot of time to spend with a tenant. Make granting your request for new appliances easy by sending along some research on good quality brands and deals on new appliances in your area. You can also offer to help remove and set up the new appliance if you possess the skills needed to do so. By approaching your landlord with good information and offers to help, you can give them more good reasons to say yes.
Keep It Reasonable
If you submitted your best arguments and your landlord still refuses to replace the appliances or perhaps claims that they can’t afford to do so, there’s one more thing you can try. Perhaps, offer to pay for half of the appliance yourself, particularly if you want to stay in the rental home for an extended period. If your landlord accepts your offer, be sure to get all of the details in writing, including the appliance’s total cost. Choose a machine that is both reasonably priced and good quality – going too extravagant may cause your agreement to end before you get the appliance you want. Lastly, being able to recommend a brand and a good bargain at a local store may encourage your landlord to agree to your request.
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