In an apartment fire am I only responsible for paying the depreciated value?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
In an apartment fire am I only responsible for paying the depreciated value?
I don’t have renters insurance. I talked to the building owner and landlord. The building owner told me that I would have to pay for the damages ( he states a new oven is around $300-500 and new cabinets is around $1500) and his maintenance crew would get started and have everything fixed by next week and he would send me a bill. I don’t have a problem paying for the damages but it should be fair. The apartment complex is really old, rent is dirt cheap, and the appliances are outdated. I think he will try to buy a $500+ stove, when the other one wasn’t worth $150.
Asked on June 21, 2012 under Real Estate Law, Ohio
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
No, you do not get credit for depreciation. The landlord is allowed to replace appliances, fixtures, etc. with ones of comparable quality, even if they cost much more than the original ones were then worth due to their age, or even cost more than the originals had cost when new due to inflation. While the landlord may not upgrade at the tenant's expense, he or she may replace destroyed items with new equivalent ones, even if the destroyed ones had been old.
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.