Landlord obliged to pay costs of repair of dishwasher.

A dishwasher, which was a fixture in an apartment according to the lease, broke down and the tenant paid for a repair; the landlord refused to reimburse him. The second paragraph of Article 19 of the Rent Act states that the landlord shall, as a minimum, see to the repair of household appliances that are regarded as fixtures in the premises, providing that the tenant is able to demonstrate that malfunctions are not attributable to neglect or oversights on the part of the tenant or persons for whom he is responsible. A dishwasher is not normally regarded as constituting part of the fixtures of a rented apartment, but in this case it was listed in the lease as being provided with the apartment. Under the lease, the tenant was to be all costs of operating the dishwasher, but the landlord was to see to the repair of electrical appliances and other fixtures accompanying the premises. According to the invoice from the repairer, the malfunction was not attributable to the tenant; consequently the cost of the repair was to be borne by the landlord.

Conclusion: The landlord was ordered to reimburse the tenant the sum he had paid for the repair, ISK 41,272.