Over the weekend, I had a friend at my apartment taking care of my cat. While he was there, I let him use the washing machine, since he doesn't have one. Apparently, however, my landlady (who lives downstairs) heard him using it, and came up to berate him for using "their" appliances and water (which my landlords are paying for). When I got home, they told me I was not allowed to have guests do laundry in my apartment because "what if I invited the whole neighborhood". My question is, can they actually tell me this is the case, and, if they made an issue of it, could they force me to pay for repairs of the washing machine if it breaks while he is using it. Currently, in my lease, its stated that they pay for it, and from what I can tell, if its normal wear and tear, they still have to cover it, but I'd like more information.
Submitted by mantrasong on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 15:48
Appliance use and repair
I believe the landlord has the right to insist that her appliances only be used by her tenants. Typically the lease or tenancy at will agreement should spell this rule out either with specific language regarding the appliances or with general language regarding the use and occupancy of the premises. Even if the lease is silent, if you persist in allowing your friends to use the appliance, your landlord may simply choose not to renew you lease or to evict you if you are a tenant at will.
As for the repairs, landlords are required by law to maintain the appliances they provide. I suppose it's possible that a landlord could convince a housing court judge that your friend's continued use of the appliances led to the required repair, either because of a specific act by your guest or merely because of increased use. That seems like a tough argument, though.