A couple who recently moved out of a long-term rental says they were surprised when their landlord asked them to pay for a full replacement of the apartment’s glass stovetop after nearly seven years of use.
The situation was shared in a post on the Reddit Renters forum, where user sithegood explained that their husband moved into the Nebraska apartment in mid-2019 and the family left in January 2026.
During that period, they welcomed a baby and said they tried to leave the unit in good condition when they moved out.
Unfair Expectation?
According to the post, the landlord charged the family for repainting the apartment and cleaning the tub and oven, costs the original poster (OP) said felt fairly standard after a long tenancy.
The dispute began when the landlord replaced the glass stovetop and requested payment for the new appliance.
“I don’t think it makes sense to expect it to look the same after seven (and possibly more) years of use,” the OP wrote in the thread, which included a photo shared by the landlord as justification for the replacement.
The tenant added that other appliances had been replaced during their time in the unit without any charges.
The discussion provoked 2,400 strong reactions from Reddit contributors within five days, many of whom questioned whether the cost should fall on the tenant after years of ordinary use.
“I don’t know that the stovetop couldn’t have been cleaned to make it look much better, but that’s water under the bridge,” a pundit offered the OP.
“After seven years, you should not have had to pay for painting except in really strange circumstances.”
Commentators Split
Another commenter disagreed with the tenant’s assessment after seeing the image shared in the post.
“I’ve had glass-top stoves and have never seen one this bad. It obviously was not properly taken care of,” they wrote.
Disagreements about appliance wear are common in rental disputes because responsibility can depend on whether damage is considered normal wear or the result of misuse.
A guide from insurance company Lemonade notes that landlords are generally responsible for maintaining appliances provided with a rental unit when issues stem from normal aging.
“Since you pay rent to use space–including walls, ceiling, floor and any appliances included in your lease–your landlord is legally responsible to make sure they are in good condition,” according to the Lemonade renters guide.
At the same time, tenants may still be liable if damage goes beyond ordinary wear.
In the same guide, Lemonade Claims Experience Advocate Jonathan S. explained how responsibility often depends on the circumstances, saying: “The owner of your building is in charge of hiring contractors to repair the building and clean up smoke damage.”
Property management organizations often stress that tenants play a role in preserving rental units through routine care.
The American Apartment Owners Association notes that renters who keep spaces tidy and report issues early can help maintain the condition of appliances and fixtures over time.
For the tenant who shared the story, the debate is still ongoing. They wrote that they are currently discussing the charge with their landlord while searching for older photos of the stove that might show its condition when the lease began.
Newsweek has reached out to sithegood for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.
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