To feel frustrated with my freezer situation as a renter?

[Silentfriend]

I’ve been renting my place for a while, and for more than a few weeks now, my freezer has been malfunctioning. I turned it off and unplugged it, leaving the door open for 24h+, but it hasn’t defrosted properly, and the ice buildup is still significant.

On top of that, my cooker also packed up, and I haven’t had a working cooker for a week now.

I’ve tried several things:

• unplugging and leaving the door open for 24h+
• using warm water
• clearing the drain hole

Despite my efforts, it hasn’t improved, and I’m now left without a functioning freezer for weeks. I was hoping to sort this out myself before contacting the landlord.

AIBU to be frustrated? What should I do next?

Yeah I’m going to do this. No other option than the oven really.

I am a bit baffled about your freezer. After weeks of not working, is it now empty, frost free and clean? Could you have damaged any part of it while trying to defrost it? Once frost free and clean, it should surely start to work again once it is plugged back in and the temp dial reset.
It’s either working, or it’s been damaged in defrosting if not. Working is good, not working, you need to explain to your LL, and move on from there.

Are you a student?

You need to defrost it and then see how it is. If you want to speed things up you can whack the ice with a plastic spatula or something (not metal) but I'm sure somebody will be along to tell you that'll damage the freezer shortly. If you leave it turned off with the door open the laws of physics say it will defrost eventually!

Would you ask for a rent reduction? Someone else mentioned this in the comments but I paid my rent on Tuesday for the month. By the time the next due date comes round my cooker is likely to have been replaced

I mean waiting a week for a new cooker I think is pretty reasonable Id say. Often people who own would have to wait for one to be delivered or something. Have you got an air fryer to see you through? You need to speak to him about the freezer too.

not for one week delivery i would not

very reasonable

I’m not a student, no. I’ve tried all of this. I’m also concerned that the more I leave it off for 24hours plus this also affects the food in the fridge. So far it’s been off for 24hours. Previously I’ve just had it off for 10-12 hours and it makes no difference at all, or very little.

Bowls of boiling water - once rented somewhere where only freezer was top of fridge section and it was a complete block of ice when I moved in - took a weekend lots of chipping and hot water but it was fine once it was defrosted.

Some of our freezer need defrosting occasionally - often when a teen hasn't shut door properly - take a few house with towels and boiling water in our metal bowls.

The cooker frustrating - may be trying to get parts or a new one - and is the landlord responsibility - in meantime buying an air fryer or hot gird is an option.

We slowly accumulated white good and furniture over decade of renting and it was a huge help when we move into our first bought house - meant there was less to buy right away.

I don’t have an air fryer…I assume when she says cooker then the hob is off too? But OP didn’t specify. I’m aware that it can take a while for delivery etc @sleepyscientist and I used to own my own house but the point is the landlord needs to provide a reduction in rent or a suitable substitute as she is being put out I suppose. If I had no cooker I would struggle to cook my normal meals which would mean spending more money to accommodate that.

The freezer needs to defrost. It sounds like you left it icy for too long, but if it isn't plugged in then the ice will melt given time. After 24 hours you should be able to tap big chunks of ice off to throw in the sink, which will speed up the process After that give it a good clean and try again.

It isn't clear what you meant by "malfunctioning", whether that is related to defrosting or not? If there is ice that implies it is creating a cold environment? Was there some other issue like overheating at the back? Fires can be caused by appliances, so report to your landlord immediately if so and keep it switched off.

Okay thanks. Although it won’t be fixed in a week. A week is already here and the guy only came round yesterday to look at it.

i don’t have an air fryer.

im getting conflicting comments about the freezer. Originally I thought this was something I sort out myself naturally, so been doing all of that, and went on holiday for two weeks came back last week and resumed.

But others are also saying to speak to him about the freezer, so not sure.

I’m going to try for the reduction in rent, but tbh I doubt he will agree. Also I paid my rent for the month on Tuesday just gone, so I’m not sure how that would work seeing as when the next rent is due my cooker would have likely been replaced then. I guess I can ask for a substitute, I dunno. This is all stressful and I have interviews at the start of next week that I need to prepare for too

People are saying to contact the landlord because you said your freezer had been malfunctioning. Not to ask him/her to defrost it for you.

If you've made reasonable attempt to defrost freezer - and switched off and boiling water there is only so long ice can hang around.

If freezers not working somehow after that then yes - get in touch with the landlord and explain you've deforested and what the exact issue with the freezer is left.

Wasn't there a freezer defrosting thread last weekend too? Unless these posters are polar bears I don't get why their freezers don't defrost once they're unplugged, the house must be warmer than the ice.

OP, are you sure it's definitely switched off? With integrated appliances it can be tricky sometimes to find the plug.

I’m aware.

Unless you get rid of all the ice you don't know if there is a problem with the freezer causing it or if the ice itself is causing the problem. Google tips to speed it up.

To be honest, even if you do defrost it completely and then the ice builds back up the landlord is likely to tell you to defrost the freezer. So I suggest you take photos while you're doing it.

went on holiday for two weeks came back last week
Are you suggesting your freezer has failed to defrost for over 2 weeks? Are you living at the south pole?

Yes. 100% switched off.

Ok, I’m confused. You mentioned - in the title - that you were frustrated about your freezer ‘as a renter’. I can’t see why you would mention this if you weren’t considering the possibility of landlord responsibility/involvement. Otherwise, it’s simply a case of ‘how can I sort my freezer?’

Has it been completely free of ice at any point since you switched it off? If not, you haven’t left it switched off for long enough. If the problem is that you had it completely defrosted, but the ice built up again very quickly, then it’s probably a faulty thermostat (well, that’s what happened to ours) and will most definitely require a phone call to your landlord.

You need to properly defrost it. Is there someone who can store your frozen food for 24 hours while you turn the freezer off, get the ice out and properly clean it? Going to be next to useless just letting it run with the door open, as the ice will melt, cause big pieces of ice somewhere else when you try to re freeze it🤷‍♀️
This doesn’t sound like a LL issue, this I am sorry to say will be down to you by the sounds of things. All to easy to leave door slightly ajar, but it does cause big problems.

yes it has been more than that. So before I went on holiday it was doing this for like a couple of weeks.

it seems like I am because most people say theirs has defrosted within hours and that definitely doesn’t happen in my case

Then why did you say this?

"Well, it’s not actually a no-brainer for me. I wasn’t sure defrosting the freezer is the landlord's responsibility, or if he would try and charge me for it (they do this if they feel the callout was a tenant fault) which is why I’ve been trying to sort it out myself."

Sorry, but your posts are really not very clear.

I haven’t been letting it run with the door open, that would be counterproductive. It has been OFF with the door open for 24 hours now.

i don’t have family and friends that live nearby so can’t store the food elsewhere.

Yes but did you leave your freezer turned off for 2 weeks while you were away?

There is no malfunction that could make a freezer with no power keep frozen. Imagine how pissed off freezer sellers would be if there were. Obviously if you are living in the arctic this doesn't apply.