[sbierwagen]

I wasn't expecting any replies on my original comment, so I suppose I should add some context. In a former career I was a Washington state-licensed electrician (07a) and spent four years in commercial real estate maintenance. This probably puts me in the top 10%-ile in capability to/interest in performing household chores.

I also live in a screaming hot rental market, (North Seattle) and the last apartment complex I lived in raised the rent like clockwork by 10% every six months. Where I live now I haven't seen a rent increase in three years, which makes me rather overdue for one.

I was using "a dripping faucet" in the sense of the prototypically trivial home repair. (Shut off water, replace twenty dollar faucet cartridge, turn water back on) I wouldn't call the landlord for that in the same way I don't call the landlord to replace smoke detector batteries, change light bulbs, replace furnace filters, do yearly water heater sediment flushes, oil squeaky door hinges, or to clean my toilet.

If, like, the refrigerator failed, then I would be calling the landlord.

[actually_a_dog]

You're saying that rather than spend what, $1k or so at most (which would be what it would cost replace the refrigerator entirely), you'd rather poke the bear and risk a 77% rent hike (which would be what you'd have if you'd gotten 6 rent increases of 10% over the past 3 years)? It's not like the landlord can sue you when you move out if you leave them an equivalent, but brand new refrigerator.

[sbierwagen]

Why would I leave them a brand new refrigerator? The economically rational course of action would be, on moving out, to put the refrigerator that came with the unit back in place, while I depart with the refrigerator that I purchased with my own money. After all, the unit's refrigerator died of old age while I was occupying it, I didn't do anything to it, and shouldn't be liable for replacement costs. Just store the failed appliance intthe living room until I move out.

Letting the landlord replace it a year later than they otherwise would have saves them money!

[actually_a_dog]

Fair point. I suppose I just assumed you didn't have space to keep a non-functional refrigerator just sitting around, like most people.