The hot water heater died on move in day and my landlord tried to call it normal wear and tear

I moved into a duplex on Oak Street in Portland last month. The first morning I went to take a shower and got nothing but cold water. The landlord sent a guy out who said the unit was from 1998 and just gave out. Landlord tried to say I broke it and kept my $1200 deposit. I had to threaten small claims court before he gave it back. Has anyone else had a landlord blame you for something that was clearly old and worn out?

2 comments

2 Comments

phoenixb6610d agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, that's infuriating! I had almost the exact same thing happen with a water heater that was way older than yours. What finally worked for me was sending my landlord a certified letter with photos of the date stamp on the water heater and a copy of the city's building code that says appliances over 15 years are considered end-of-life. I also included a printout from a local plumbing company that said the unit was clearly past its expected lifespan. Once he saw I had actual proof and knew my rights, he backed off fast. Never let them bully you into paying for their neglected equipment.

miabennett10d ago

Wait, did he seriously try to keep your whole deposit over a water heater from the 90s?