A broken refrigerator, a dead furnace in January, or a washing machine that floods the laundry room can turn a comfortable rental into a daily frustration. When appliances supplied with your rental stop working, one question matters more than any other: whose job is it to fix them? The answer depends on your lease, your state law, and what kind of appliance is involved.
Landlords in most states carry real legal responsibility for appliances they provide, but that responsibility has limits. Understanding exactly where your landlord’s obligations begin and end helps you make a strong repair request, avoid paying for fixes that are not yours, and protect yourself if the landlord stalls.
What Counts as a Landlord-Repaired Appliance
The general rule is simple. If the appliance came with the rental, the landlord must keep it in working order. Refrigerators, stoves, ovens, dishwashers, garbage disposals, washing machines, dryers, furnaces, and air conditioning units supplied by the landlord are part of the property you rented. When they break down through normal use, repair or replacement is the landlord’s job.
Appliances you bought and brought with you are your responsibility. If you purchased your own washer and dryer or plugged in a personal microwave, the landlord is not obligated to fix them. Some leases spell this out explicitly, so check your agreement to see which appliances are listed as included. When in doubt, the move in checklist or the lease inventory section usually answers the question.
Built in systems deserve special attention. Heating, plumbing, and electrical systems are almost always the landlord’s responsibility, regardless of what the lease says. These systems relate directly to habitability, and state laws typically forbid landlords from shifting that duty onto tenants. For a fuller picture of these duties, see our guide to landlord obligations under a lease.
The Warranty of Habitability and Lease Terms
Nearly every state recognizes an implied warranty of habitability, which requires rental housing to meet basic health and safety standards. A dead furnace, a nonfunctional stove, or a refrigerator that cannot keep food cold can breach this warranty. The warranty applies even if your lease never mentions it, and landlords cannot make you waive it in most states.
Your lease may add detail on top of the legal minimum. Many leases include an appliances section that lists which units are covered and sets out the repair process. Read that section carefully. Some leases ask tenants to handle minor appliance parts, such as refrigerator light bulbs or dryer lint filters, while keeping major repairs with the landlord. Those clauses are generally enforceable as long as they do not gut the habitability warranty.
Watch out for leases that try to make tenants responsible for all appliance repairs. In many states, such blanket clauses are unenforceable when they conflict with the implied warranty. If your lease contains one, it is worth knowing your tenant rights under the lease agreement before you accept the charge.
Your Duty to Report Problems Promptly
Landlords cannot fix problems they do not know about. In almost every state, tenants must notify the landlord of appliance breakdowns within a reasonable time. Waiting weeks to report a leaking dishwasher weakens your position and can even make you liable for the extra damage the delay caused.
Report the problem as soon as you notice it. Describe the appliance, the symptoms, and when the issue started. If the appliance is a safety hazard, such as a gas stove with a suspected leak or an electrical panel that sparks, say so clearly and request emergency service. Prompt reporting protects your health, your belongings, and your legal standing.
How to Request Repairs in Writing
Always put repair requests in writing. A phone call may feel faster, but a written request creates proof that you notified the landlord and started the clock on their duty to act. Email, text messages, and tenant portal messages all work, as long as you keep a copy.
A strong repair request includes the date, the appliance involved, a clear description of the malfunction, and a reasonable deadline for action. Mention any safety concerns or food spoilage. Keep your tone factual and professional. Our sample letter to a landlord about repairs or replacement gives you a ready made template you can adapt.
Save every response you receive. If the landlord promises a repair date by phone, follow up with a short email confirming what was agreed. That paper trail becomes essential if the dispute escalates.
Reasonable Repair Timelines
Landlords must act within a reasonable time after receiving notice, and many states define that period by law. Emergency repairs, such as a broken furnace in winter or a refrigerator failure that risks food spoilage, often require action within 24 to 48 hours. Non emergency repairs typically allow 7 to 14 days, depending on the state.
What counts as reasonable also depends on the facts. A landlord who orders a replacement part the same day is acting diligently even if the fix takes a week. A landlord who ignores your emails for three weeks is not. If the delay is unreasonable and the appliance is essential, you may have remedies under state law, including arranging the repair yourself in some jurisdictions.
Replacement vs. Repair: What You Are Entitled To
When an appliance breaks, the landlord must restore it to working condition, but they are generally not required to buy you a brand new unit. A competent repair satisfies the obligation. If the appliance is beyond repair, the landlord must replace it with one of comparable quality, not necessarily the latest model.
Tenants sometimes ask for an upgrade, such as a larger refrigerator or a newer dishwasher. The landlord is not obligated to provide upgrades, though you can always negotiate. If you want a better appliance, offer to share the cost or accept the standard replacement. Whatever you agree on, put it in writing so there is no confusion later.
Keep in mind that repeated breakdowns of the same appliance can change the picture. If the landlord keeps patching a failing furnace instead of replacing it, the ongoing problem may still breach the habitability warranty. Document each failure and each repair attempt. A pattern of failed fixes strengthens any complaint you file with code enforcement or in court.
What If the Landlord Refuses or Delays
When a landlord refuses to repair a supplied appliance, you have options, but each comes with rules you must follow exactly. Some states allow repair and deduct, where you hire a professional and subtract the cost from rent. Others allow rent withholding or escrow for serious habitability issues. A few states permit lease termination when essential services go unrepaired.
Never stop paying rent or hire your own repair person without checking your state law first. Acting outside the legal process can expose you to eviction or a lawsuit. You can also contact your local housing or code enforcement office, which can inspect the unit and order the landlord to comply. For problems that reduce the value of your rental, rent abatement may be available as a remedy.
If the situation involves threats of eviction over a repair dispute, learn the process in advance by reading about eviction notice types and tenant rights. Knowing the procedure removes the landlord’s leverage.
Final Thoughts
Broken appliances are the landlord’s problem when they came with the rental and failed through normal use. Your part of the bargain is to report issues promptly, request repairs in writing, and give the landlord a fair chance to act. When landlords meet their obligations, most appliance disputes resolve with a single service visit.
If your landlord stalls or refuses, document everything and learn your state’s specific remedies before you act. The law gives tenants real tools for unmade repairs, but those tools only work when you use them in the right order. Start with a clear written request, and you will be in the strongest possible position.