Am I responsible for the cost of my tenants’ food that was lost because of a broken-down refrigerator?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Am I responsible for the cost of my tenants’ food that was lost because of a broken-down refrigerator?
We repaired the refrigerator within 2 days notice of it not working.
Asked on June 25, 2012 under Real Estate Law, Washington
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
The landlord would typically only be responsible for the cost of the tenant's food if the landlord had prior notice or knowledge that this refrigerator was defective, was prone to breaking down, etc. and had negligently failed to resolve the situation. A landlord could also be liable if the landlord did not take reasonable steps to remedy the problem once it happened (repair the refrigerator). So if, for example, there was a history of it breaking down and you kept making short term fixes instead of replacing it, you could be held liable; on the other hand, if there was no particular warning or notice of problems, and if getting someone in to repair it was reasonable under the circumstances (e.g. that was more or less the first appointment you could get, owing to weekends, how busy the repair company was, etc.), you would not be liable.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.