Last week, our long-term tenant let me know that the freezer compartment in her refrigerator wasn't working right. That refrigerator has been in that unit for 15 years, so I decided to replace it with a more energy-efficient model instead of seeing if it it could be repaired.

It's a small fridge and there aren't many options to choose from. The earliest delivery date I could get for the new fridge is next Monday, about a week and a half from when she told me about the freezer problem. Not ideal, but I couldn't get one any sooner. I offered to lend her a cooler then, but she declined.

Yesterday, I sent her an email reminding her to remove all her photos and other stuff from the old fridge, which will be taken away when the new one is installed. She emailed back that now the refrigerator compartment isn't working either, and asked if she could borrow a cooler now. I lent her a couple of large coolers to put her food in.

Question: do I owe her anything beyond the use of the coolers until the new fridge gets delivered? She's an excellent tenant and it did feel like a long time to make her wait for the new refrigerator. We are small landlords and don't have an extra refrigerator sitting around to use in emergencies.

Have you checked the blend door to see if it has plastic food bags or grocery bag tearoffs in there, that alone will kill the functions and 15 years ago they made fridges much better than todays 5 year junkers. Those older fridges go 25 years and more with just a cleanout of freezer drain and coils, sometimes the fan motors go sour but for the up/down fridge they are 40bux, if it is a side-by-side it as costly as a boat to repair.

If the refrigerator came with the rental then you needed to get a replacement sooner than 1 week. Forget about Home Depot or Lowe's, they can take 5 to 7 days for a delivery. But there are many smaller appliance companies that will deliver a replacement within 1 to 2 days -- the longest, depending how early you get your order in. Yes it will cost maybe $50 to $100 more. But for your tenants convenience it's worth it. I keep business cards handy with the closest suppliers of appliance to each property I own.... Ones who want my business and have their own inventory and delivery vehicles.

I don't give discounts off the rent, but I think I'd give a gift card to a grocery store or maybe a specialty meat store (butcher shop) after the new fridge was installed.

She's being a good sport and it is definitely an inconvenience.

Keep a small fridge on hand and take it to them to use in conjunction with the coolers.

CDM,

Hey, we've all been there...the fridge failing...what to do?

What does your lease say? Mine is very specific that we offer the fridge as a 'convenience only' and it is not guaranteed or warrantied in any way. This is for the future. I really don't like giving rent discounts because it sets up expectations for the future. "My doorknob does work...you owe me a discount like last time!" Etc.

A few solutions for the problem today.

1) A fridge is a gigantic, insulated box with a compressor to force cold air into it. You know what a fridge that fails is called? A Giant cooler. Dry ice place in the top and bottom compartments will work just as well as an array of cooler.

2) Wal-Mart carries dorm room sized fridges that are big enough for milk, cheese, eggs, and lunch meats. They cost about $90. Buy one and let them use it if you want. Easier than swapping out ice, and when they're done with it you can tuck it into a corner in your garage or just leave it there with them for extra storage space. Then if the new fridge dies (yes, I've had that happen!), there's no more ferrying fridges back 'n forth.

3) Call around to some local used appliance stores. Odds are they've got something, just be sure to get the size. I get same day delivery and haul off of gently used (3-4 year old) fridges for $150.

There's three potential solutions for you. Hope one of them works.

Where do you think the cold air in the fridge comes from? :) It comes from the freezer. :) So when the freezer falters, the fridge is going to falter along with it, and when the freezer has totally failed, the fridge doesn't have its own backup source-of-cold to keep going.

You might buy several bags of ice from the gas station, and stick them in the freezer and the fridge. Keep the doors closed as much as possible, and replace the ice as necessary. It's a good way to get us through lengthy power outages, and a few $2 bags of ice is reasonable while preserving space/accessibility. Keep a couple of thermometers on hand to track the temperature in each compartment. I've had people recommend dry ice as well, although I haven't used it personally--- they go to ice cream shops and grocery store bakeries to get theirs. I don't know the price on those.

Where do you think the cold air in the fridge comes from? :) It comes from the freezer. :) So when the freezer falters, the fridge is going to falter along with it, and when the freezer has totally failed, the fridge doesn't have its own backup source-of-cold to keep going.

You might buy several bags of ice from the gas station, and stick them in the freezer and the fridge. Keep the doors closed as much as possible, and replace the ice as necessary. It's a good way to get us through lengthy power outages, and a few $2 bags of ice is reasonable while preserving space/accessibility. Keep a couple of thermometers on hand to track the temperature in each compartment. I've had people recommend dry ice as well, although I haven't used it personally--- they go to ice cream shops and grocery store bakeries to get theirs. I don't know the price on those.

Not bags of ice. Blocks of ice. Blocks last much much longer.

I freeze gallon milk jugs of ice in my own home freezer.

I don't mess around with delivery dates, which always seem too far away. Their convenience is not convenient for me. I've got a cargo trailer and a dolly and I go and pick up the fridge myself.