Landlord Responsibilities Fridge/Washing Machine

[Casey Stoker]

Hello all,

I have been reading through this forum and saw some great advice,  I hope I can also get some feedback. I have a property in NJ that I have rented for the past 3 years. The tenants had a lease for the first year and after it expired I did not renew the lease because they have consistently been late on rent. For the past 2 years the tenants have been on a month to month lease. 

I was recently given an offer from a buyer for the property and the tenants were given 45 days to vacate. They are now a few days pass their vacate date. In the past month the tenants have had various complaints and 2 weeks ago stated that the refridgerator and the washing machine no longer works. I bought a small refridgerator for their food that they only have had to use for one week, but they are now asking for reimbursement for the spoiled food items and laundromat cost. 

This is a bit unique because NJ does not require that these items be provided to a tenant, and also even though it was on their original lease they have not had a lease in years. As the landlord, am I responsible for reimbursing them for those out of pocket costs?

I appreciate any feedback.

Casey