Should I charge tenants for the brand new or the used model?

[Guka Kagu]

My tenants just moved out. They damaged the cooktop due to negligence and abuse. I need to replace the whole unit. The company doesn’t make the same model anymore and the similar model is around $2800.

My second option is to buy a used one online for $2100. Let’s say I go with the second option. Can I still ask for $2800 since they got a brand new cooktop when they moved in.

Thank you!

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @Guka Kagu:

Your original post does not say how old the stove was.

Everything depreciates and loses value over time. A $2,000 stove is not worth $2,000 a year later or five years later. The fact that the company doesn't make the same model any more tells me that this unit is at least 3-5 years old. 

You say they "damaged the cooktop" but don't explain further. Did they scratch it and make it ugly? Crack it? If the damage is cosmetic but the stove top and the oven still work, then you shouldn't be claiming complete destruction of the appliance.

A stove/oven should last ten years. If you depreciate it $200 per year and it's five years old, it would have a remaining value of $1,000. After seven years, a value of $600. This is an art, because an appliance could be 12 years old and in perfect condition, so the lifespan of items is just a baseline. The point is that you shouldn't charge someone $2,800 for a stove that's eight years old because some of the value has already been enjoyed.