Is reducing the number of appliances furnished in your rentals a good idea, or not, is the question this week for veteran real estate investor, landlord and property manager Hank Rossi.
Dear Landlord Hank:
Do you provide all the appliances in all your properties? We stopped putting in refrigerators several years back after a couple of bad experiences. But recently we had a prospective tenant say he expected a refrigerator and implied we had to provide one by law.
Darlene
Dear Landlady Darlene,
In my personal properties, I provide refrigerators, stove, dishwashers, and microwaves, over the stove, when possible.
I have had many go bad over the years, and repair costs are usually high.
Sometimes it’s better to replace the appliance rather than repair it.
I almost always buy used appliances from Craigslist and I don’t use stainless steel in my personal properties.
Most of the time, if any appliance needs repair, it is not due to neglect or tenant misuse.
This goes back to in-depth rental screening, checking credit and rental history, etc.
The custom here is to rent properties with appliances and if I were to require tenants to supply their own appliances, I’d have to reduce the rent to attract someone willing to do that or wait a long time for the right person.
I’d rather pay more for appliances and have a good tenant paying rent as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Hank Rossi
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