Tenant’s refrigerator broke.

[Mark Brennan]

A tenant’s refrigerator broke and the earliest any appliance tech could get out to look at it was 7 days later.  I told the tenant there was nothing I could do, but to buy bags of ice and put them in the fridge/freezer until the tech could come out.  I told the tenant I would reimburse her for all the ice.  She was grateful but said it won’t keep all her meat, and she can’t afford to buy more.  I already bend over backwards to help this woman, and she is moving out in the summer.  Should I pay for any of the food that goes bad too?

[Andrew Freed]

@Mark Brennan - This may seem like an obvious answer but why not buy a new fringe? Honestly, you can get a new fridge or even a used one for less than $500. In addition, you'll need it for the new tenant anyway once she moves out. If you really want to save the current fridge, you can always store it and when the tech is available, have him check it out, fix it and utilize it on another property. 

At the end of the day, if you want your tenants to treat your place right and pay on time, you have to offer a certain level of customer service. Someone going without a fridge for a week is a huge hassle and the fact that you can not address it quicker definitely affects how your tenant views the property and you, which could result in worse consequences such as non-payment, late payment, or not taking care of the property. Treat people how you would want to be treated and the universe will return the favor.