Old AC failed in furnished rental — should tenant pay full replacement cost?
Need advice regarding furnished rental deposit dispute in India.
We stayed in a furnished flat for 2 years. The AC was already old and had recurring issues during our tenancy. Recently it stopped cooling properly. A technician said the unit is very old and may require major repair / may not be economically repairable.
Our rental agreement says appliances should be returned in working condition. I told the owner I’m willing to pay reasonable repair costs if repairable, but the owner asking me in working condition back and as I know her she might ask for replacement
Additional context:
- Fridge also had repeated issues during tenancy and eventually we bought our own fridge.
- Washing machine mentioned in agreement was never provided.
- We have ₹20k deposit with owner.
- We are vacating at month end and want peaceful settlement, not legal conflict.
In such cases, is it reasonable for a tenant to bear full replacement cost for an old AC, or only repair/depreciated cost?