If a tenant is responsible for repairs, are they liable if they do not fix something?
<p>Hypothetical: A single person rents a home, and it is specified in their lease that as the tenant, they are responsible for repairs and maintenance.</p>

<p>The dishwasher breaks down. Since this person usually washes their few dishes by hand and does not use the dishwasher much, they decide not to fix it.</p>

<p>Are they liable for repairs to the dishwasher when the lease is over? </p>

<p>[The question is not dishwasher-specific, it just used as an example. If it matters, the reason for not fixing something could be inability to find a contractor or lack of funds to do so. </p>

<p>Also for hypothetical's sake, let's assume there is no clause in the lease that defines any item's expected condition before or after the lease term.]</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Are they liable for repairs to the dishwasher when the lease is over?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Yes, but that is because of the <em>presumption</em> that the proximate cause for the dishwasher breaking is its usage by the tenant or tenant's household.</p>

<p>To overcome liability, the tenant would have to prove that the dishwasher broke prior to the start of the lease.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>If it matters, the reason for not fixing something could be inability
  to find a contractor or lack of funds to do so.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>That does not matter, unless any such exceptions are contemplated in the language of the contract.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>let's assume there is no clause in the lease that defines any item's
  expected condition before or after the lease term</p>
</blockquote>

<p>In that case, the default expectation (and presumption) is that everything works fine before the lease, and the expectation is that everything will work fine at the end of the lease.</p>

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