4 ms·

So the law requires a fridge be provided, but doesn't state what kind. So now renters can expect to move into an apartment with a tiny, old fridge that does not

So the law requires a fridge be provided, but doesn't state what kind. So now renters can expect to move into an apartment with a tiny, old fridge that does not suit their needs. Then they have to find a different fridge that will hold more than a half gallon of milk, as well as find a place to store the provided, unusable fridge until they move out.

rtpg 9mo ago
A thing I've experienced is people buying a bigger fridge, and then just leaving it when they move out because they're moving to a place with a fridge that is fine (for example, moving in with someone who has a nice fridge). Everyone walks away from that basically fine.
- WheatMillington 9mo ago
  Especially the landlord who got a free fridge updgrade.
hypeatei 9mo ago
Yeah, it seems like mandating transparency here would be better. I've never moved into an apartment that didn't have a fridge, but if the landlord wasn't providing one before, I can't imagine they'll spend on a nice one now.
themafia 9mo ago
Uniquely you are allowed, as a renter, to turn down the refrigerator and bring your own if you agree at the signing of the lease. The landlord can't make this a condition but can accept it as a modification. The bill is very poorly written and under specified. The only restriction is that the unit itself not be under any manufacturer recall.
- pseudohadamard 9mo ago
  First versions of laws expected to meet significant resistance usually are. So you make v1 as vague as possible to get it passed, then once everyone is used to it and agrees it needs fixing, pass the v2 law you actually wanted to pass originally.
rconti 9mo ago
I mean, if the lack of a refrigerator is a uniquely Los Angeles thing, it seems like you could just predict what will happen based on what happens in _every other city_....
mc32 9mo ago
they could do like germany where most apartment/flat kitchens are bare --the renter needs to bring their own appliances and furnishings. this means fewer appliances and kitchen stuff gets mistreated by the renters since they own them. kinda sucks to move apartments though. as to why... german renter/lessee culture prefers having their own stuff to give it a more homey feel, i guess.
- actionfromafar 9mo ago
  Mistreatment can be handled in the contract.
- rendx 9mo ago
  I've lived in Germany for four decades with plenty of moving around, and have yet to move into a place where a kitchen was not either provided or left there from the previous tenant (sometimes with a more symbolic compensation; it's not worth to rip it out since it often only fits that particular place anyway so there is pressure to give it away cheaply).
  - rstuart4133 9mo ago
    That's your story. Here's mine. My daughter moved out of an apartment in Hamburg. The fridges, washing machines, beds or whatever I can understand. They are designed to be installed after the building is complete. What blew me away was being forced to remove the ceiling lights, and leaving the live wires dangling down. Don't underestimate the difficulty of doing this for someone who has to do it after working hours. You switch off the power of course, which leaves you in total darkness. Naturally I had not thought of that little complication beforehand.
- crazygringo 9mo ago
  "Kinda sucks" is putting it lightly. It hugely sucks because things like fridges and stoves often need to fit the dedicated space in a kitchen exactly. The chances that your previous apartment and new apartment fit the same size appliances is virtually nil. This is why it makes sense for them to just be part of the apartment. I don't know what you mean by "mistreatment" -- anything in an apartment can be mistreated I suppose, it's not specific to appliances. If you damage anything, that comes out of your deposit. But I'm not really sure what there is specifically to damage about fridges and stoves? They get dirty and you can clean them. They don't generally require any super-special treatment.
Brian_K_White 9mo ago
There is no actual argument here that wouldn't apply exactly the same to the stove and the toilet. If an apartment has a shitty fridge, it simply is a less attractive, less valuable property. If you want full control over such details, you can buy instead of rent, or you can buy your own frdge and keep the original in a storage unit until you move. If that sounds stupid, I agree that would be stupid.

rtpg 9mo ago

A thing I've experienced is people buying a bigger fridge, and then just leaving it when they move out because they're moving to a place with a fridge that is fine (for example, moving in with someone who has a nice fridge). Everyone walks away from that basically fine.

WheatMillington 9mo ago
Especially the landlord who got a free fridge updgrade.

hypeatei 9mo ago

Yeah, it seems like mandating transparency here would be better. I've never moved into an apartment that didn't have a fridge, but if the landlord wasn't providing one before, I can't imagine they'll spend on a nice one now.

themafia 9mo ago

Uniquely you are allowed, as a renter, to turn down the refrigerator and bring your own if you agree at the signing of the lease. The landlord can't make this a condition but can accept it as a modification. The bill is very poorly written and under specified. The only restriction is that the unit itself not be under any manufacturer recall.

pseudohadamard 9mo ago
First versions of laws expected to meet significant resistance usually are. So you make v1 as vague as possible to get it passed, then once everyone is used to it and agrees it needs fixing, pass the v2 law you actually wanted to pass originally.

rconti 9mo ago

I mean, if the lack of a refrigerator is a uniquely Los Angeles thing, it seems like you could just predict what will happen based on what happens in _every other city_....

mc32 9mo ago

they could do like germany where most apartment/flat kitchens are bare --the renter needs to bring their own appliances and furnishings. this means fewer appliances and kitchen stuff gets mistreated by the renters since they own them. kinda sucks to move apartments though. as to why... german renter/lessee culture prefers having their own stuff to give it a more homey feel, i guess.

actionfromafar 9mo ago
Mistreatment can be handled in the contract.
rendx 9mo ago
I've lived in Germany for four decades with plenty of moving around, and have yet to move into a place where a kitchen was not either provided or left there from the previous tenant (sometimes with a more symbolic compensation; it's not worth to rip it out since it often only fits that particular place anyway so there is pressure to give it away cheaply).
- rstuart4133 9mo ago
  That's your story. Here's mine. My daughter moved out of an apartment in Hamburg. The fridges, washing machines, beds or whatever I can understand. They are designed to be installed after the building is complete. What blew me away was being forced to remove the ceiling lights, and leaving the live wires dangling down. Don't underestimate the difficulty of doing this for someone who has to do it after working hours. You switch off the power of course, which leaves you in total darkness. Naturally I had not thought of that little complication beforehand.
crazygringo 9mo ago
"Kinda sucks" is putting it lightly. It hugely sucks because things like fridges and stoves often need to fit the dedicated space in a kitchen exactly. The chances that your previous apartment and new apartment fit the same size appliances is virtually nil. This is why it makes sense for them to just be part of the apartment. I don't know what you mean by "mistreatment" -- anything in an apartment can be mistreated I suppose, it's not specific to appliances. If you damage anything, that comes out of your deposit. But I'm not really sure what there is specifically to damage about fridges and stoves? They get dirty and you can clean them. They don't generally require any super-special treatment.

Brian_K_White 9mo ago

There is no actual argument here that wouldn't apply exactly the same to the stove and the toilet. If an apartment has a shitty fridge, it simply is a less attractive, less valuable property. If you want full control over such details, you can buy instead of rent, or you can buy your own frdge and keep the original in a storage unit until you move. If that sounds stupid, I agree that would be stupid.