When you are poor and have an iPhone....

[happyslug]

73. In Most States refrigerator is NOT required to be provided by the landlord

Now, most units have Refrigerators, but it is NOT required in most states. If you rent a unit with a refrigerator it is the duty of the landlord to maintain that refrigerator, for if it was in the rental unit when you looked at it, having a refrigerator become part of the lease. Notice the existence of a Refrigerator is like the existence of running water and a roof, their existence during a tenant review of the rental unit makes them part of the lease, and as such subject to legal action is something goes wrong with the Refrigerator (or pluming or the roof). On the other hand, no states that I know of REQUIRES a refrigerator in rental units offered for rent.

Now, public housing is required by Federal law to provide refrigerators, and stoves in addition to heat and electricity to tenants. Most landlords since the 1950s have known about this requirement and to compete with public housing started to provide the same items, but no state that I know of made such items mandatory for rental units provided by private citizens.

Please note, many local municipalities have restrictions on rental units in addition to state law, but again I have NOT run across any the REQUIRE refrigerators.

The main reason for his is a lot of Tenants have their own Refrigerators, Stoves and Washer and Dryers and thus do NOT need the landlord to provide those items. On the other hand, most Apartments do have those items (or access to Washer and Dryer elsewhere in the apartment complex) for Tenants expect those items and will NOT rent an apartment without them.

Not required in California:
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/08/business/la-fi-rent-20120108

Nor required in my home state of Pennsylvania, whose laws I am more familiar with but also has no Statute on point as to what is in an rental unit. The laws reflects the changes that most rent is for housing, but the law also retains its traditional role of renting land for planting and harvesting crops. Evictions are set by Stature and access to cable is set by stature (lobbied for by Cable Companies) but the rest of Pennsylvania Landlord Law is a product of Case Law since 1689 when William Penn Founded Pennsylvania.

Please note, in many states, including Pennsylvania, the same Landlord and Tenant law applies to renting houses, apartments and businesses. Thus the same law applies to you renting a one bedroom apartment as well as Walmart renting its store from whoever is the owner of the land the Walmart is on. Thus if State Law requires a Landlord to provide a Refrigerator, how does come into play with Walmart renting a store? Given most State laws are written by lobbyists and the most active lobbyists tend to be business lobbyists, state Landlord and Tenant Law reflect what such businesses want NOT want Tenants or even Landlord wants. Thus I be surprised if any state actually requires anything in a Rental unit except that it be habitable, and I be surprised if any state habitability Statute addresses any requirement for any "white goods" to be in any rental unit.

Now, local laws, more affected by Landlords and Tenants, may require Refrigerators and stoves in their habitability law, but most do not. Local laws and most state laws require fire alarms and some local ordinances require fire extinguishers but that is the limit of what is required by the landlord to provide.

Sorry, I have to disagree with your statement but I have been doing Landlord and Tenant law for over 25 years and I have NEVER run across a law the require a Landlord to provide a Refrigerator except for public housing.