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Fridge Freezer in rented property keeps breaking, should landlord pay for food?



Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
49,900
Goldstone
The fridge freezer first went wrong last year and it took the landlord ages to get it fixed. After eventually being fixed it went wrong again, got fixed, went wrong again, got fixed and it's gone wrong again, so it's being replaced.

Under the circumstances, should the landlord pay for the food that's been lost, and if so, how much (mostly fridge items)?

Cheers
 

CheeseRolls

Well-known member
NSC Licker Extraordinaire
Jan 27, 2009
5,905
Shoreham Beach
Not saying it is right or wrong, but IF I were a landlord, my argument would be that it was the tenants responsibility to claim on their contents insurance.

The practicality of this is that you would need to have lost about £200 worth of food, to make a claim worthwhile and then you would most likely lose most of this through the poxy excess on the policy, that you never imagined would be a problem, when you were trying to push down your premium payment.
 

Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
49,900
Goldstone
Not saying it is right or wrong, but IF I were a landlord, my argument would be that it was the tenants responsibility to claim on their contents insurance.
Doesn't insurance only cover freezer food, not stuff in the fridge?
 

hybrid_x

Banned
Jun 28, 2011
2,225
just dock the costs off your next rental paymenr and get him to fight it - this makes it easier than you "fighting" it.

ive done this a few times years ago and always worked well - especially with a polite letter to them too beforehand.
 

Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
49,900
Goldstone
just dock the costs off your next rental paymenr and get him to fight it - this makes it easier than you "fighting" it.
Thanks. I'm not asking how to fight it though, I'm just asking what NSC considers should be done. I'd just like to know whether it's right to expect the landlord to pay.
 


hybrid_x

Banned
Jun 28, 2011
2,225
but asking how much is like asking how long is a piece of string...

you could have caviar and an opened champagne in there, or iceland chicken nuggets and some sunny delight.
 

strings

Moving further North...
Feb 19, 2006
9,965
Barnsley
This should be covered in your tenancy agreement. I would look there first.
 

Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
49,900
Goldstone
but asking how much is like asking how long is a piece of string...

you could have caviar and an opened champagne in there, or iceland chicken nuggets and some sunny delight.
How much is the second question - the first is whether the landlord should pay for fridge food. That may/may not be reasonable. I'm pretty sure it's not reasonable to expect the landlord to pay for caviar and champagne though.
 


Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
49,900
Goldstone
This should be covered in your tenancy agreement. I would look there first.
Got it here. It doesn't mention anything about fridges or freezers. It says:
Obligations of the landlord:
To pay any taxes or assessments due for the premises
To repair and maintain the structure and fabric of the premises
To service gas appliances regularly and to ensure their safe and efficient operation
To maintain basic level furniture and fittings
To respect the tenants' right to privacy
To keep the building insured against loss or damage

it also says:
The Landlord will supply the following under the category of basic level furniture and fittings
and then lists fridge freezer etc
 

Billy the Fish

Technocrat
Oct 18, 2005
17,471
Haywards Heath
Did the stuff in the fridge actually go off? Most stuff you put in the fridge has a short term shelf life anyway. Unless you didn't notice for a week I can't believe you had lots of wastage.
 

Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
49,900
Goldstone
Did the stuff in the fridge actually go off?
Yes. The fridge has stopped working a few times, and the food in it should normally last a good few days, but meat and milk etc won't see the past the day when it stops working. And when you find it's warm in the morning, you don't know how many hours it's already been warm, and you can hardly use all your food up before going to work.
 


mikeyjh

Well-known member
Dec 17, 2008
4,472
Llanymawddwy
I think a decent landlord wanting to maintain a good relationship with you would a) Make some offer for your losses and b) Replace the damn thing. Certainly wouldn't recommend trying to make arbitary deductions from your payments, that's not the way to conduct business....
 

SweBHAFC

New member
Nov 16, 2009
126
Being a landlord myself I would tell them to **** off. Not my problem. What's next, ants in the cupboard ruining the breakfast cereals.

If they pushed I would ask for individual receipts for all items claimed .
 

Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
49,900
Goldstone
Being a landlord myself I would tell them to **** off. Not my problem. What's next, ants in the cupboard ruining the breakfast cereals.
But it is your problem if you can't provide a fridge/freezer that's capable of lasting more than a couple of months at a time don't you think?
 


Westdene Seagull

aka Cap'n Carl Firecrotch
NSC Licker Extraordinaire
Oct 27, 2003
20,922
The arse end of Hangleton
it also says:
The Landlord will supply the following under the category of basic level furniture and fittings
and then lists fridge freezer etc

It really depends on the exact wording of the TA but from what you've put here would make the landlord responsible for ensuring a working fridge. Therefore yes, he/she would be liable for the lost food. That said, as a landlord, if I repaired the fridge in reasonable time the first time I would expect the tenant to suck it up. The fact that it's broken down numerous times suggests the landlord has done it on the cheap rather than just replace it.

You could just ask if the landlord would contribute to the replacement food costs.
 

Since1982

Well-known member
Sep 30, 2006
1,480
Burgess Hill
I think a decent landlord wanting to maintain a good relationship with you would a) Make some offer for your losses and b) Replace the damn thing. Certainly wouldn't recommend trying to make arbitary deductions from your payments, that's not the way to conduct business....

I'm a landlord and this is exactly what I would do. Had a boiler breakdown one winter and took a few days to get fixed so took money of the next months rent because I want a good relationship with good tenants. If however someone made a deduction without raising the issue first I would be very unhappy! He should of sorted the problem first time round but your losses can't be that much so this should be an easy thing to resolve.
 


spongy

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2011
2,758
Burgess Hill
Being a landlord myself I would tell them to **** off. Not my problem.

This is why I hate landlords and letting agents. What a tosser.
 

Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
49,900
Goldstone
I'm a landlord and this is exactly what I would do. Had a boiler breakdown one winter and took a few days to get fixed so took money of the next months rent because I want a good relationship with good tenants.
Interesting - how much did you take off, a few days worth?
 

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