- Responsibility for Providing. Some states require all landlords to provide kitchen and laundry appliances, some don’t, and some only require kitchen appliances. (read more).
- Responsibility for Repairing. If appliances are provided, it’s generally the landlord’s responsibility to keep it in working condition.
- Time to Repair. If it’s the landlord’s responsibility, some states specify a time frame to repair (usually ~14 days from request), while others aren’t specific beyond a “reasonable” time period (read more).
- Tenant’s Options. If repairs aren’t made in a timely manner, depending on the state, tenants may have multiple options for recourse, such as withholding rent or terminating the lease (read more).
Each state has its own rules on what needs to be provided for living conditions in rentals to be deemed “acceptable”, known as the Implied Warranty of Habitability. Below is a breakdown of those laws as it relates to providing appliances.
Landlord Responsibilities
The following chart lists which states require landlords to provide appliances, and which appliances they’re required to provide.
Note: the below table only addresses state laws. Always check with county or city housing codes for additional requirements.
| State | Kitchen Appliances Required? | Washer/Dryer Required? |
| Alabama | No | No |
| Alaska | Stove/oven | Not addressed |
| Arizona | No | No |
| Arkansas | No | No |
| California | No | No |
| Colorado | Yes | No |
| Connecticut | Yes (if required) | Yes |
| Delaware | No | No |
| Florida | No | No |
| Georgia | No | No |
| Hawaii | No | No |
| Idaho | Not addressed | Not addressed |
| Illinois | Not addressed | Not addressed |
| Indiana | Yes | Yes (if required) |
| Iowa | Yes | Yes (if required) |
| Kansas | No | No |
| Kentucky | Not addressed | Not addressed |
| Louisiana | Not addressed | Not addressed |
| Maine | Not addressed | Not addressed |
| Maryland | Not addressed | Not addressed |
| Massachusetts | Yes | No |
| Michigan | Not addressed | Not addressed |
| Minnesota | Not addressed | Not addressed |
| Mississippi | Not addressed | Not addressed |
| Missouri | Not addressed | Not addressed |
| Montana | Yes (if required) | Not addressed |
| Nebraska | Yes (if required) | Not addressed |
| Nevada | Not addressed | Not addressed |
| New Hampshire | Yes (if required) | Not addressed |
| New Jersey | Multi-family | Not addressed |
| New Mexico | No | No |
| New York | No | No |
| North Carolina | Yes (if required) | Yes (if required) |
| North Dakota | Yes (if required) | Yes (if required) |
| Ohio | No | No |
| Oklahoma | No | No |
| Oregon | No | No |
| Pennsylvania | Not addressed | Not addressed |
| Rhode Island | No | No |
| South Carolina | No | No |
| South Dakota | Not addressed | Not addressed |
| Tennessee | No | No |
| Texas | Not addressed | Not addressed |
| Utah | Not addressed | Not addressed |
| Vermont | No | No |
| Virginia | No | No |
| Washington | No | No |
| West Virginia | Not addressed | Not addressed |
| Wisconsin | Not addressed | Not addressed |
| Wyoming | Not addressed | Not addressed |
| Washington, D.C. | No | No |
Only a handful of states require landlords to provide stoves, ovens, or refrigerators:
- Alaska (stove/oven only)
- Colorado
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Massachusetts
- New Jersey (multi-family units only)
“If Required”
Other state laws indicate that landlords must provide theses appliances “if required,” which typically refers to local requirements specific to a municipality or county, or if it’s written into the lease as one of the things the landlord will provide for tenants.
“Not Addressed/No”
The remaining states don’t address whether landlords are required to provide appliances at the state level. However, the landlords may still choose to provide appliances in the unit even when not required.
Making Repairs
Generally speaking, if the landlord provides appliances as part of the amenities in their rental property, it’s their responsibility to repair it and pay the costs involved. This also includes landlords not required by law to provide them but did so by choice.
Making the Repair Request
In every state (except Arkansas, which doesn’t require landlords to provide any service or repair any item), tenants are required to notify their landlord if there is an item that needs to be repaired.
Depending on the state, this can be done orally or in writing. However, most states only allow for requests to be made in writing. The below table shows which types of repair requests are legally acceptable in each state.
| State | How Repair Request Can Be Made |
| In writing (only) | Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota*, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wyoming* |
| Orally or in writing | California, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin, DC |
* In Minnesota, tenants are only allowed to submit a written repair request to their landlord if there is no local housing/safety/health inspector they can report concerns to.
* In Wyoming, even if a tenant submits a repair request in writing, the landlord is not required to make the requested repair. Instead, landlords have the option to terminate the lease if they choose not to make the repairs.
Even if a state does not require it, it’s highly recommended to put all requests in writing in case there is a dispute about the need for the repair or the timing of the request.
Time to Repair
Below is a table for the time frame landlords have to make the repair, starting the day the request is received.
| State | How Long Landlord Has to Make Repairs |
| Alabama | 2 weeks |
| Alaska | 10 days |
| Arizona | 5 days |
| Arkansas | N/a |
| California | Reasonable time period |
| Colorado | 5 days |
| Connecticut | 15 days |
| Delaware | 15 days |
| Florida | 20 days |
| Georgia | Reasonable time period |
| Hawaii | 3 to 12 days |
| Idaho | 3 days |
| Illinois | 14 days |
| Indiana | Reasonable time period |
| Iowa | 7 days |
| Kansas | 14 days |
| Kentucky | 14 days |
| Louisiana | Reasonable time period |
| Maine | 14 days |
| Maryland | Reasonable time period |
| Massachusetts | 14 days |
| Michigan | 24 hours to a reasonable time period |
| Minnesota | 14 days |
| Mississippi | 30 days |
| Missouri | 14 days |
| Montana | 14 days |
| Nebraska | 14 days |
| Nevada | 14 days |
| New Hampshire | 14 days |
| New Jersey | Reasonable time period |
| New Mexico | 7 days |
| New York | Reasonable time period |
| North Carolina | Reasonable time period |
| North Dakota | Reasonable time period |
| Ohio | Reasonable time period |
| Oklahoma | 14 days |
| Oregon | 7-30 days |
| Pennsylvania | Reasonable time period |
| Rhode Island | 20 days |
| South Carolina | 14 days |
| South Dakota | Reasonable time period |
| Tennessee | Not specified |
| Texas | Reasonable time period |
| Utah | 3-10 days |
| Vermont | 30 days |
| Virginia | 21 days |
| Washington | 24 hours to 10 days |
| West Virginia | Not specified |
| Wisconsin | Timeframe provided by the landlord |
| Wyoming | Reasonable time period |
| Washington, D.C. | Reasonable time period |
Tenant’s Options if Repairs Aren’t Made
Tenants have multiple options here, depending on the state. For example, a tenant can make the repair themselves (or hire someone to do it) and deduct the cost of repairs from their monthly rent. However, most states set a dollar limit on the amount that can be deducted from rent if using the repair and deduct method.
We include state-by-state remedies in the chart below. Remember, this doesn’t include a landlord’s intentional or negligent failure to provide heat, which is covered in another section.
Some states only allow for one remedy, while others allow tenants to use several remedies together.
| Tenant Remedy | State |
| Withhold Rent | California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota, Vermont |
| Move Out/ Terminate Lease | Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington, D.C., Wisconsin |
| Contact Inspector | Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Washington, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin |
| Pay Reduced Rent | Louisiana, New Mexico, Wisconsin |
| Pursue Legal Action | Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming |
| Repair & Deduct From Rent | Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington |
Renters in Texas and Wyoming are only allowed to pursue the remedies above if they have sent written notice of the items to be repaired to the landlord via certified mail. Otherwise, they cannot pursue legal action (Wyoming and Texas), or terminate the lease and/or repair the item and deduct the cost from rent (Texas).
