Refrigerator in Rental

[Sara Enyart]

What would you do?

This is only our second rental property (our first one already had a long-time tenant when we bought it), so not much experience with these matters.

We decided to not put a refrigerator in the home.  The tenant knew this before she signed the lease.  After we accepted her application, but before she signed the lease, she asked us where she could find a cheap refrigerator or would we be willing to put one in the home.  We told her that we don’t typically put refrigerators in our rentals (we didn’t want her to know that we were newbies at this), but that we would be willing to purchase a refrigerator for the home and she can pay us back for it (payments spread out over the 12 month lease added to her rent) and it will be hers when she moves out.  She is ok with this.  Now, we are struggling with how we go about this.  We definitely need to have her sign an addendum, but I can’t find a good template to use.  Do I contact our attorney to draft and addendum?  Should we just bite the bullet and put a refrigerator in the unit and not have her pay us back (and it would remain in the home when she moves out).  I really didn’t want to have to deal with cleaning it when she moves out or any necessary repairs.  We’ll stand firm with our next rental (either provide one or not, period), but, we’re kind of stuck, I’m afraid.  I don’t feel like I can tell her, at this point, “nah, just kidding.  We’re not going to get a refrigerator.  Good luck!”  Although, I believe it would be just as easy for her to get a refrigerator as it is for us.  We’re literally going to go to Lowe’s, purchase it, and have them deliver it.  She can do that.  Anyway, thank you for advice. 

[Andrew B.]

Many people think addendums need to be long, formally written documents. I would only ask an attorney to draft an addendum if I thought it was an unusually complicated issue, or if I had reason to suspect the tenant would challenge it.

If I were you I would get a word document, and type in bold letters at the top:

"Addendum to Rental Agreement between [Landlord Name] and [Tenant Name] for [123 Fake St [Town Name], AB; signed on Month 00, 2020."
Then underneath, type out in normal English what you want it to say.