Landlord obligated to fix/replace?

Question

My tenant just informed me that the ice maker on the refrigerator does not work. Obviously, using ice trays can solve that problem. Everything else about the refrigerator works. The fridge is older so I'm not sure it's worth spending possibly hundreds of dollars to fix that function, but at the same time, buying a new fridge isn't cheap either. Am I obligated to provide my tenant a fridge with a working ice maker if that's what they expected moving in?

Matt R. · Answer

I'd go over there and take a look at it first to make sure it's not a really cheap fix.  Nearly all icemakers will have a wire arm or a plastic flap that shuts off the icemaker when the ice bin gets full.  However, it can also get pushed into the "off" position if you're moving boxes around in the freezer.  Pulling that back towards "on", and maybe moving some of the freezer contents around, will fix it.

Some icemakers have a toggle or rocker switch on them that will turn them off; usually it's on the edge of that white plastic square you see on the front of the icemaker. Make sure that switch is on. If the fridge has an electronic control panel, go into the menus and see if the icemaker is shut off in there.

Sometimes the water line behind the fridge gets kinked and reduces or stops the water flow to the icemaker, especially if they've pulled the fridge out to clean and then pushed it back.  If possible, also follow the icemaker water line back to where it connects to a pipe; if it's in an unfinished basement, maybe somebody tried to hang something from the water line and kinked it that way.  There should be a valve where the icemaker water line connects to the pipe; make sure that valve isn't closed.

If all that is good, then you have to diagnose it further, which you may want a service tech to do. If you don't already have the fridge model number, you can get it from the label on the fridge and Google a replacement icemaker for it; usually those are $70-$100 or so for the part. (It could also be a cheaper part, like the water valve or the wiring, but you'd need to diagnose it or pay a tech to diagnose it to know for sure.)

Corby Goade · Answer

Lots of advice from people here who seem to treat their tenants like commodities. First things first- what does your lease say? You are beholden to the lease just as your tenant is. In most cases, from a legal perspective, if it's not clear in your lease, and I assume your lease doesn't say "landlord responsible for maintaining ice maker," you'll need to get it fixed, If there is a working item in the house when the tenant signs the lease and that thing breaks, the assumption is that the tenant rented based on what was present and operational during their walk through.

On a related note- we don't typically have icemakers installed in refrigerators in our units because of maintenance and possible water damage. Tenants expect to use ice trays from the day they move in, so there's no question about it.

Account Closed · Answer

Typically, most state laws, you should check yours, requires landlords to maintain all supplied appliances.  You may not be required by law to replace the ice maker but then it comes to a question of character.  I have an appliance contractor that replaces my rental property ice makers for about $125.  This is a very low cost versus getting the bad reputation as a Slumlord.

Tammy Mason · Answer

@Mindy Bowden fix it. Then remove it when they move out, or have your next lease with them exclude that and tell them so.

Mitch Messer · Answer

Hi @Mindy Bowden!

You should double-check the laws and ordinances for your area.

I operate in Georgia and our Lease Agreement makes it crystal clear that appliances, such as a refrigerator, are provided as a convenience to the resident, but that no portion of the rent is attributable to them.

So, no, we would not spend money repairing/replacing an ice maker.

We might consider crediting some portion of the repair cost toward the resident's future rent if they paid for the repair themselves (using one of our preferred and approved contractors, of course.)

Max T. · Answer

@Mindy Bowden

Would you like to continue renting to this tenant?

Not fixing things like this is what gets tenants thinking about moving. Turnover costs $.

I like long term tenants at just below market rent. For them I would replace an old fridge entirely, possibly for a lease renewal and/or slight rental increase.

Calvin Lin · Answer

This is crazy but I am in Cary too and my tenant just texted me 3 days ago about the ice maker not dispensing ice.  It is making them but the blocks of ice would not break up and dispense despite the crusher making noises and trying.  I second the idea of using a table top ice maker which is no more than $100, problem solved.  I wouldn't even bother calling appliance repair because they charge $100 per trip before even fixing anything.

Theresa Harris · Answer

If the ice maker is broken, the fridge is still in working order.  It doesn't affect the ability to keep food cold.

Find out how much it costs to get replaced and go from there.  If it is $100, just do it.  If the cost is $300, then talk to them.  Rent will go up when you renew their lease and you're talking about $10 a month for one year to fix it (at $100).  What are the tenants like otherwise?  If they are good, how much would a vacancy cost you.

Sean McKenna · Answer

@Mindy Bowden

You can find a lot of YouTube videos about repairing and checking ice makers.  These are usually cheap to fix.

I will say that I go out of my way to buy fridges without the ice makers for tenants. This is one of those Maintance nightmare items like screen doors and garbage disposals.

Mindy Bowden · Answer

Thanks for all the advice! I intend to either fix it or replace it. I don't typically buy refrigerators with ice makers for my units, but the refrigerator was already there when I purchased the place so it didn't make sense to get rid of a working fridge.

I hadn't realized the ice maker wasn't working when they moved in. When the previous tenants moved in, it was working. They just vacated and a new set of tenants just moved in a week ago. In between the two, I forgot to test the ice maker so hadn't realized it wasn't working or I would've fixed it prior to them moving in.

Landlord obligated to fix/replace?

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