What's with the lack of refrigerators? (Los Angeles, Long Beach: lease, home, buy)

[BennyPhoenix]

Originally Posted by AnUnidentifiedMale

I predict that it won't be long before landlords say, "What? You wanted a toilet in the apartment? Sorry, you'll have to buy your own."

Toilets are required under law.
Refrigerators are not.

[AnUnidentifiedMale]

Originally Posted by BennyPhoenix

Toilets are required under law.
Refrigerators are not.

From what you're saying, I have to conclude that if toilets weren't required by law, many landlords wouldn't offer them.

[bhcompy]

Originally Posted by AnUnidentifiedMale

From what you're saying, I have to conclude that if toilets weren't required by law, many landlords wouldn't offer them.

the deal with renting is that its your choice whether to rent or not. if someone doesnt offer a toilet, find someone that does. works the same way for furnished and semi-furnished apts

[skywalker400]

I've lived in the Bay Area, San Diego and Hawaii (where the humidity can really magnify roach and mold problems) and never noticed a place lacking a fridge(unless it was an illegal inlaw). It'd be nice to have a personal fridge, the places I rented at often had old ones that froze unevenly and used way too much electricity, but it seems unpractical for a young person just moving to the city. Do most people take their fridge with them when moving apartments? Is their demand for used fridges?, lol. Actually I wonder when I see foreclosures what happened to the units fridges and stoves, I never really figured there might be a big second hand market.

[skywalker400]

^^bhcompy or anyone, Does semi-furnished mean that it includes fridge, washer/dryer, ...? Thanks.

[AnUnidentifiedMale]

Originally Posted by bhcompy

the deal with renting is that its your choice whether to rent or not. if someone doesnt offer a toilet, find someone that does. works the same way for furnished and semi-furnished apts

Absolutely, that's true. I think we're all just commenting on the fact that it's a peculiar aspect of renting in the L.A. area to find that many rentals don't include certain things that you'd find in the rest of the country.

I bet refrigerators aren't required in most places throughout the U.S., but they're still provided.

It's just another sign that the quality of life in L.A. is lower compared to other places. You pay more to live there, but you get less.

[Fontucky]

Originally Posted by trojerine

Since you are a landlord yourself can you explain why it is more or less standard practice among LA landlords to not provide fridges?

I have no idea. To be perfectly honest, this is the first time I've ever heard people questioning the practice.

All I know is this: Years ago, back when I rented houses, they never came with fridges, and I never questioned why they didn't. I always preferred to supply my own. My 2 houses are in very nice neighborhoods and never stay on the market long, plus at the price they rent for, the people who rent them tend to be the type who drag their own major appliances along with them.

[Cato the Elder]

Originally Posted by AnUnidentifiedMale

From what you're saying, I have to conclude that if toilets weren't required by law, many landlords wouldn't offer them.

Exactly - it's interesting to see how jaded landlords appear to be. Landlords make it sound like a practical decision not to include refrigerators. Give me a break - it's the bottom line we're talking about. As I said, what you can get away with. It's not as if tenants have a high sense of entitlement for expecting a fridge. It's a practical concern - you get charged a signficant amount to move them which makes it almost better to buy a new one. You surely won't get fair value on Craigslist. Let me guess, we should keep the box? Even if you do pay to get it moved, it gets dinged, coils get crushed, and it shortens the life a fridge much more than normal use. Where do these fridges go? To the dump and they're not exactly small. The rest of the country knows this and there's no "refrigerator" surcharge when you rent a place that has one anywhere else. The most ludicrous part is that one finds less fridges as you get to the more desirable places on the west side. You pay $3k for a POS place so you're typically\ already paying a "location" premium above and beyond what a landlord has in expenses, presuming they didn't buy in 2004.

[bhcompy]

Originally Posted by skywalker400

^^bhcompy or anyone, Does semi-furnished mean that it includes fridge, washer/dryer, ...? Thanks.

i dunno. im just using it as a catch-all term for somewhere they may include some things but not others

[BennyPhoenix]

If you want a fridge and dont want to buy one, you can rent one. They run from about $20 to $40 per month. You can also buy them from about $350 on up.
If I have a rental with a fridge I charge an additional $50 per month. The hassle factor alone from tenants who break them is high. I dont know what it is about fridges. Stoves rarely get damaged by tenants.
The popular item is dishwashers. Tenants seem happy to have them; happier than having a fridge.
I put dishwashers in any apt that has the space. They are inexpensive and dont give problems and tenants love them.