Who is responsible for spoiled food if the refrigerator breaks?

In most cases, the landlord is not responsible for the tenant’s loss unless the landlord is negligent.

If the property comes with a refrigerator and it breaks, then the owner is responsible for repairing it in a reasonable time, but not for replacing the tenant’s lost food. This would be considered something that is not preventable by the landlord.

If a landlord failed to respond to repeated requests to fix the refrigerator, and then it completely failed, this could create liability for the landlord. Failure to respond and fix the refrigerator before it stops working completely could be construed as negligent.

Some tenants feel that the landlord is responsible for all of their personal belongings in all circumstances, but this is not the case.

The best practice is for the landlord to respond to maintenance requests in a timely manner and for tenants to have renter’s insurance to cover their personal belongings–typically including groceries.