Which Appliances Are Included in a Rental? Clarify Before Signing

Make it clear which appliances are included in a rental before an applicant signs or pays move-in costs. A refrigerator visible in photographs or during a self-guided tour can reasonably prompt questions about what is being offered. Resolve those questions directly: who owns it, whether it works, whether it stays and how repair requests will be handled.

This is a practical guide for US landlords, not a nationwide list of appliances landlords must supply. Required equipment and repair obligations depend on state and local law, the housing program where relevant, and the agreement. A general as-is statement does not answer every question about an appliance.

Give each appliance a clear status

Before advertising, walk through the home and identify the refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, washer, dryer and any other equipment an applicant might expect to use. Check the facts with the owner if you manage the property. Avoid discovering during lease signing that the owner and agent have different assumptions.

• Included: the appliance is being supplied as part of the rental offer.
• Not included: explain that the applicant will need their own appliance where legally permitted.
• Being replaced: identify what will be supplied and the agreed installation timing.
• Status unresolved: establish ownership, condition and the intended arrangement before presenting the unit as ready.

Equipment left by a previous resident needs particular care. Do not assume it has become the next tenant’s property or that leaving it in place settles who maintains it. Resolve any former occupant’s ownership rights and the applicable disposal rules before removing, giving away or selling it.

Make the listing, viewing and agreement consistent

Use current photographs where possible. If a photograph shows an appliance that will be removed, explain that clearly beside the relevant property information and before the viewing. A buried exception mentioned only after payment is likely to create a dispute even if you thought the arrangement was obvious.

During a self-guided tour, nobody may be there to answer whether a washer belongs to the current tenant or whether the refrigerator is staying. Provide accurate written information and a contact for questions. After a live or recorded video tour, confirm any appliance detail that could not be shown clearly.

Carry the same information into the lease or an appropriate inventory. Identify included items specifically rather than relying on a generic phrase such as kitchen appliances. Have the agreement reviewed where ownership, maintenance or replacement responsibilities are unusual. Our remote-viewing guide covers other property details that can be missed on camera.

Do not describe untested equipment as working

A vacant property may have utilities disconnected when an applicant visits. In that situation, an open refrigerator door or a clean oven is not evidence that the appliance operates correctly. Tell the applicant which checks have and have not been completed, and arrange appropriate verification before promising a working appliance at handover.

Have a qualified person deal with suspected electrical, gas or installation problems. A viewing is not a reason to ask an applicant to reconnect equipment or diagnose a fault. Where testing depends on utility service, coordinate it as part of preparing the property rather than leaving the uncertainty for move-in day.

For example, if an included refrigerator has not been tested because electricity is off, record that fact and arrange a check. If it fails, resolve the repair or replacement and communicate any effect on the agreed handover. Do not retroactively change included to tenant responsibility simply because the inspection revealed a cost.

Separate providing an appliance from repairing it

Whether a landlord must initially supply a particular appliance is a different question from what happens when an appliance supplied under the rental agreement stops working. The lease may create obligations, and applicable law may impose duties that cannot simply be removed by a label.

As a Texas example, the Texas State Law Library’s repair-duty guidance explains the statutory focus on conditions materially affecting an ordinary tenant’s physical health or safety and the conditions that must be met for that statutory duty to arise. It does not establish that every refrigerator dispute has the same outcome. Check the actual equipment, agreement, circumstances and local requirements.

Tell residents how to report a failure and who will respond. Keep a maintenance request separate from an argument about who ultimately pays. Establish the facts first, including what failed and whether there is an immediate safety issue. Avoid assuming misuse simply because a problem appears shortly after move-in.

If the tenant brings their own appliance

Where this arrangement is lawful and agreed, clarify it before the tenant buys anything. Confirm the available space, connections and any building delivery requirements. A refrigerator that fits the kitchen opening may still fail to fit through the entrance or around the stairs.

Agree what happens to any existing appliance and who coordinates its removal. Do not tell a tenant to discard an item with unresolved ownership. Make clear whether the tenant-owned appliance leaves with them at the end of the tenancy and how any agreed installation changes will be handled. Use appropriate installers rather than treating every connection as a simple plug-in job.

Keep the arrangements accessible to whoever handles maintenance. Otherwise, a contractor may be sent to repair an appliance the owner does not supply, or a legitimate repair request may be dismissed because staff cannot tell which item is covered.

Resolve inconsistencies before they become a move-in surprise

If the advertisement, tour explanation and lease disagree, preserve the relevant versions and identify the exact conflict. Explain the options and document the agreement reached. Do not promise that an applicant can automatically cancel, or insist that they have no remedy solely because they signed. Obtain local advice when money, possession or contractual rights are disputed.

At handover, record the appliances present, their observable condition and any outstanding work. Share that record with the tenant and provide a clear way to report something missed. Photographs support the record, but a photograph alone does not prove an appliance was functioning.

RentForms can collect applicants’ initial questions before viewings, helping you identify a concern about included equipment early. It does not create appliance inventories or assign repair obligations. Use those early questions to improve the listing and resolve the offer’s details before moving on to formal paperwork.