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The gas stove broke shortly after I moved in, but the landlord says I have to pay for the repair. Who is responsible?

Application Date 2026-10-30 15:13
Consultant Chloe

I moved into my current monthly rental property about three months ago. The gas stove that was already installed in the property when I signed the lease suddenly stopped working. I did not damage it or misuse it, but the landlord told me that appliances such as gas stoves are considered consumable items and that I should arrange and pay for the repair myself. Am I still responsible for the repair cost in this situation? How can I determine whether the landlord or tenant should pay?

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Comments 1

Chloe Consultant

(Date Posted) 2026.10.30

Not every repair in a rental property is automatically the landlord’s responsibility, nor is every repair automatically the tenant’s responsibility. The appropriate party to bear the cost generally depends on several factors, including the cause of the malfunction, whether the equipment forms part of the leased property, whether the tenant was at fault, and whether the lease agreement contains any specific clauses regarding repair obligations. Under Korean civil law, a landlord generally has an obligation to maintain the leased property in a condition that allows the tenant to use it as intended during the lease period. Therefore, if the gas stove was already installed as part of the rental property when the lease began and it became unusable due to normal deterioration or an internal malfunction without any fault on the tenant’s part, the landlord’s repair obligation should generally be considered first. On the other hand, if the issue involves a minor repair that the tenant can easily handle at little cost, or if the damage was caused by the tenant’s improper use, the tenant may be responsible for the cost. The recommended first step is to notify the landlord of the problem and have a repair technician determine whether the malfunction was caused by normal deterioration or by user-related damage. It is also advisable not to replace the appliance entirely and then request reimbursement without first consulting the landlord, unless there is an urgent reason to do so, as this could lead to a separate dispute over the repair or replacement cost. In a case such as this, where an appliance installed as part of the property stops working only a short time after move-in during normal use, it would not be appropriate to conclude automatically that the tenant must pay simply because the appliance is described as a “consumable item.” The condition of the appliance, the cause of the malfunction, and the terms of the lease should be reviewed before determining who is responsible for the repair cost.

Not every repair in a rental property is automatically the landlord’s responsibility, nor is every repair automatically the tenant’s responsibility.

The appropriate party to bear the cost generally depends on several factors, including the cause of the malfunction, whether the equipment forms part of the leased property, whether the tenant was at fault, and whether the lease agreement contains any specific clauses regarding repair obligations.

Under Korean civil law, a landlord generally has an obligation to maintain the leased property in a condition that allows the tenant to use it as intended during the lease period. Therefore, if the gas stove was already installed as part of the rental property when the lease began and it became unusable due to normal deterioration or an internal malfunction without any fault on the tenant’s part, the landlord’s repair obligation should generally be considered first.

On the other hand, if the issue involves a minor repair that the tenant can easily handle at little cost, or if the damage was caused by the tenant’s improper use, the tenant may be responsible for the cost.

The recommended first step is to notify the landlord of the problem and have a repair technician determine whether the malfunction was caused by normal deterioration or by user-related damage. It is also advisable not to replace the appliance entirely and then request reimbursement without first consulting the landlord, unless there is an urgent reason to do so, as this could lead to a separate dispute over the repair or replacement cost.

In a case such as this, where an appliance installed as part of the property stops working only a short time after move-in during normal use, it would not be appropriate to conclude automatically that the tenant must pay simply because the appliance is described as a “consumable item.” The condition of the appliance, the cause of the malfunction, and the terms of the lease should be reviewed before determining who is responsible for the repair cost.

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