Small fridge/freezer problem

The landlord has provided a smaller fridge/freezer then previous one by 29cm shorter in height. It is a new one and a bit smaller in height only.

He has paid all the various charges to have it delivered and the old one taken away and recycled and refuses to replace this with a slightly taller one.

What can be done to resolve this? Apparently there will be more charges now to sort this including takign away this new one and having another one delivered>

The height shouldn’t be a problem if the volume is the same.
Did you choose the property specifically because of the fridge/ freezer dimensions? I doubt it. Did the contract stipulate the model and size of fridge / freezer? I doubt it.
So unless it really is unfit for purpose and the number of people living in the property, there won’t be much you can do.

Ok, The previous one was holding a bit more then this one and broke down. is that a good enough case do you think?

Unless the contract says otherwise, the landlord has to provide you with a fridge/ freezer in working order and fit for the purpose. If the fridge really is too small for the number of people in the lodgement then you may be able to do something, but if it is of a size that most people would find satisfactory then there won’t be much you can do, unless it is so significantly smaller that you can maintain that you wouldn’t have rented the property if you had seen a fridge of this size when you visited the property prior to signing the contract.

Thanks. What is signifcantly smaller? is a shorter height of 29cm enough to argue this? all other dimensions are the same..

Unfortunately it’s not as simple as that. You need to know the difference in interior volume between the old and new because depending on how it’s been made there can be difference between two fridges with the same exterior dimensions.
However, if for example there are 5 of you in the house and before each of you had your own shelf in the fridge, but now there are only 3 shelves, you could probably argue that it is not fit for the purpose and that the size and quality of the fridge was an important criteria when choosing to rent that house.
Up to you if you think this is a battle worth fighting…

Thanks. Is the landlord obliged to do anything? The extra costs now involved he wants to pass on. can he do that?

Thanks. Is the landlord obliged to do anything? The extra costs now involved he wants to pass on. can he do that?

What does it say in the contract?

Tbh,unless it’s impossible to store the households fresh goods in a fridge of that size, then you are relying on the landlord’s good will, and he probably could ask for a contribution. So up to you to convince him that it’s too small for the purpose

What does it say in the contract?

Most contracts don’t give the make and dimensions of kitchen contents. The landlord will be liable to repair and/ or replace if they break down as a result of normal wear and tear. Anything else is at the charge of the tenant. If he is now prepared to replace a fridge that is in perfect working order because you would like something bigger, I think he is actually being quite cooperative in just asking you to pay the delivery charge, unless of course, the fridge that he provided really is unfit for purpose, and this I very much doubt. No normal person would replace a large family fridge with a mini one, so although smaller and maybe less practical, you probably could manage with it.

The previous one was making noise and not keepign very cool. to be fair he did buy a brand new rather than repair or an old replacement. The shorter height is a problem and a bit on the small side. He has offered a swop but the store will deduct a chunk of for the a week or so usuage and the extrea delivery charges plus the difference in the cost of gettign a 29cm taller fridge freezer. Comes to quite a lot to be honest and asked us to pay these extra charges which really is not fair.

but he should cover the rest as if he had consulted with you, you would have told him the first replacement fridge that he chose would be too small.

My somewhat snippy reply would be 'I don't need to consult with you and I choose the inventory, feel free to buy your own if it bothers you'

I didn’t say that “ he should”, but that she should tell him that he should. Nuance. Whether he accepts or not is another matter, but it never hurts to try.

Yea just playing advocate, the term 'consult' would have raised my hackles a bit

I'm also just home and annoyed from a 2 hour rainy drive, but you have to accept the possibility the landlord could have just made the same drive