Mic1

Hi all,

Just returned from a scouting trip to California to check out some areas and homes. Was surprised at the amount that DIDN'T have washing machines, tumble dryers and fridge/freezers but equally surprised at the amount of homes without HOA's. Several of the agents remarked that the lack of white goods is probably more to do with lowering the liability for the landlord, seems that an equivalent of our PAT testing doesn't exist out there.

Reading through old posts on BEP, it appears that most let properties DO have a complete set of white goods, wondering now if this is more of a California thing?

Mic

Pulaski

The rental market is inherently local in the US, partly because most of the laws governing rentals are at the state level, although there are federal "HUD" regulations, they apply primarily to low end rentals.

The fact that you are finding few rentals in HOA-governed neighborhoods isn't surprising to me as HOAs have additional rules for renting out a property, and also the landlord is going to be on the hook for violations of the HOA rules by their tenant.

So far as appliances goes, I am surprised if you're finding rentals without a stove (cooker) and fridge, but I know CA-resident members of BE have said that rentals in CA do usually come with laundry appliances. I have long suspected that ( i) that is a local phenomenon to the city/ area where they live, and (ii) that is a reflection on the segment of the market they have experience of, i.e. more expensive houses may have laundry appliances, but I suspect that cheaper homes probably do not.

Mic1

To be fair, they all had stoves, no doubt because these aren't a plug and play appliance and are permanently hooked up to a gas and/or elec supply. Obviously i have no issue in buying a washing machine and tumble dryer as these are a pretty standard size and from what i've seen, sit in their own little laundry room. However, with the fridge/freezers, again from what i've seen, occupy dedicated alcoves built into the kitchens which in turn will dictate the dimensions of the appliance. Therefore, as a tenant, you're slightly being backed into a corner to buy an appliance which is possibly not going to fit into the next property once we decide to buy or move to another rental. Not a rant, just an observation but i guess it is what it is.

Thanks

Pulaski

Larger US fridges are mostly a standard size and height - 36" wide, and I think about 60" high; there are 30" wide American-style fridges available that are also a few inches shorter, but in my area those are special order only, though I guess there might be areas where there are enough older properties that the smaller size fridges are still stocked for immediate delivery.

And FWIW, US electric stoves are plugged in, not wired in.

Mic1

Thanks Pulaski,

Without measuring all the fridge freezer gaps, they did look quite similar so you are no doubt right with what you say.

However, are the stoves really plugged in via a standard plug? Coming from an engineering back ground, surely a stove with an oven and 4 hob rings pulling power is WAY in excess of what a plug can withstand. I'll look into that, maybe it's a different type of plug/socket?

tom169

No they connect via a heavy gauge 220v outlet and wire.

Mic1

Thanks Tom, so very different to the UK where they have to be hardwired,

Pulaski

Wot Tom said!

Unless you want to go Lowe's or Home Depot and look for appliance "pigtails"* and sockets in the electrical area, take a look at the socket where the space for a clothes dryer is located and you will see a giant f***-off socket with holes for four pins (or three under the electrical code that applied until around 1992). .. Well stoves have a similar plug/ socket to four-pin dryers, but the shape of one pin is different, so they aren't interchangeable.

* There is much weirdness in the US electrical code, though arguably the UK code is equally weird, but in a different way, but one specific weird thing is that in the US you buy the cable that connects stoves and dryers to the mains, separately from the appliance.

Mic1

Wow, so it's a flex as opposed to a cable then? As you say, there is much weirdness in the US electrical. I'm guessing though with all these 'regional' codes, what applies in one state might not necessarily apply to another.

Pulaski

AFAIK electrical codes are federal, but there is local custom and practice that might overlay some things - NYC has some onerous additional requirements for plumbing. The bigger problem with electrical, such as with wiring for dryers, is that "old code" sockets are still universally available, so if someone moves into a home with a four-pin dryer socket and brings their dryer with a three pin plug, rather than upgrade the pigtail to one with a current code four-pin plug, there is nothing to stop them changing the socket to match the plug, rather than vice versa! Later, if they buy a new dryer, they can then attach their old three-pin pigtail to their new dryer, or even buy a new three-pin pigtail, so the "old code" plugs and sockets are cascading forwards through time.

In fact a new neighbour asked me for help with precisely that problem - his dryer had a three-pin pigtail (BTW three-pin dryer connections forego a separate earth pin) to match the three-pin socket in his old house and asked me to swap the socket from a four-pin to a three-pin. I agreed to help, but only to upgrade his dryer to a four-pin pigtail, and he watched me as I switched the pigtail, drilling a hole in the chassis to screw the earth wire to - I don't thing he would have been more amazed if I had been praticing witchcraft in his kitchen!

Mic1

Understood although all sounds like a bit of a work-around!! If it works though, why note LOL

HDWill

Well that's a respectably durable dryer if it's lasted since before the mid-'90s. Though I guess they are simpler machines than washers and tend to last longer.

I moved into an older place recently and had to change the pigtail on my dryer from 4-pin to 3-pin. Apparently as long as I'm not standing in a pool of water when a short happens, I should be OK.

ddsrph

National electric codes are updated every three years but each state has to adopt the new code before it applies to them. When I build and wired my new house in 2017-18 Tennessee was still using the 2008 national code. Some cities add in other rules of their own that goes beyond the current state code.

petitefrancaise

you can rent washer/dryers/refrigerators very easily. It's very popular for people in apartments where they aren't already provided and for people newly arrived. You rent month-to-month, cancelling any time.
washer/dryers usually cost about $35 per month for both here in Austin
https://rdonline.appliancewhse.com/R...eDelivery.aspx

Pulaski

I didn't say when I helped my neighbour - it was at least ten years ago, probably around 2008-ish.
You are correct, they do last longer, I suspect in part because they don't turn at high speed, vibrate violently, or contain liquids which can leak, and per your observation, they are missing all the water and pump system of washers.