As a landlord do I have to replace blinds?

Question

We left all blinds on the windows as they would not fit in our new house. They were all in very good condition The tenant has been there for 2.5 years. He has asked us to buy him a new blind as one has broken. The house is rented unfurnished and there was no inventory done saying what was in the house. I don't feel we should replace them as we left them as good will, if I had thought we would have to replace them I would have moved them all! On the other hand, he has broken it so should he replace it? He said he asked the letting agent and they said it was a fitting and we should replace it. I am going to argue this as there is no proof anyway they were there and I feel he should buy his own blinds. Especially if he broke it.

Update:

in response to 1st answer - $5 is about £3 in UK and you can't buy a 12 pack of bog roll for that! Also add up all the blinds as he has a habit of breaking stuff and expecting us to replace it - ie new oven afte less than 2 years and even a light bulb once!

Beverly S · Accepted Answer

As a landlord you are responsible- they moved in with blinds- blinds don't last forever.  How much can one blind cost.  You are responsible for things that were in the house when they moved in.  Would you expect them to buy new appliances if the stove broke??

CoolCat · Answer

Weight the whole situation here.
Is the tenant a good tenant?
Does he pay the rent on time.
Does he keep the place clean?

If you rerented to another person would you be that lucky?

Buying a blind would definitely be a gesture of goodwill and keep everyone happy and paying rent.

What you always need before a new tenant moves in is a move-in check list.
The list allows the new tenant to list everything that is broken/missing, etc upon move in.

Then when the tenant moves out, the landlord goes in with a copy of the list that the tenant has filled out and does his own checking. This way the landlord compares the condition of the property and can then deduct from the security dep. money for broken/missing items.

Your contract should also clearly state what the tenant is responsible for fixing and what the landlord is responsible for fixing.

A blind probably comes under maintenance items that the landlord is responsible for. Also, I personally think that a landlord should provide window treatments so that the tenants are not trying to install rods/blinds, etc and pounding holes in the walls and windows.

murigenii · Answer

If there is nothing in the lease stating that you are supplying window coverings then you are not responsible for replacing them.   Even if there were something, if the blinds were damaged by him and not from normal wear and tear your tenant would be responsible to repair or pay for at least part of the replacement cost (part because the tenant would only be responsible for depreciated value).

EDIT:  In every place I rented, and every landlord I know, the rods or other equipment to hang window coverings were there and part of what the landlord provided.  What was hung were the tenants responsibility. 

But, even if window blinds are provided by the landlord, if the tenant brakes them (not normal wear damage) the tenant is responsible.   Now if the landlord wants to replace them for good will that's their choice too.

rtfm · Answer

What kind of blinds were they, that you're making such a fuss over them? Around here, you can pick up generic mini-blinds at the hardware store for under $5. If the rest of the existing blinds in that room are more expensive than that, then go and take them all down and replace them with cheap ones.

As a landlord do I have to replace blinds?

4 Answers