Would you challenge a landlord replacing Miele with a cheaper dishwasher?

[sermat]

We rent a pretty expensive flat in London. The yield is very low and the landlord struggles to break even. That said, the flat has appreciated over the £1m in the 25 years the landlord has owned it.

The flat is a little bit dated but the rental price is commensurate. The kitchen would have been pretty high spec when it was put in around 2012. This includes a (not built in) dishwasher, fridge, oven, washing machine etc all from Miele.

The dishwasher broke and the landlord joked to me how expensive Miele ones were. So I joked back that the Miele appliances were why we rented this place (partly true).

Landlord fits new dishwasher and it’s a £250 one from China. I was expecting a Miele one or something of similarly high quality. Would you argue about this? DP thinks I’m precious.

At the moment a cheap Chinese is better quality than a Miele. But if a label is more important to you do what you want. And your comment re the value of the property over 25yrs says a lot about your attitude.

you can get miele decals on etsy/ebay...

Buying Miele these days is like buying Dyson. At least half your spend is for the name. I’d be more concerned about potential price hikes if your landlord is barely breaking even now.

Oh goodness OP you must be so embarrassed. What on earth will your guests think?!

Perhaps if you leave a holiday brochure on the table it'll distract your guests so that they don't notice?

Oh plumber advised against Miele. He said they are notorious for breaking and they discontinue spare parts regularly so can’t be repaired.

As I said, I've just sold it.

My Miele was less than three years old when I had to shell out £300 odd for repair and no guarantee that would solve problem. The dishwasher cost over £1000. Repair Guy says not as good as they were and I agree. There is rust on some parts of the racks and Miele not interested. Hopefully the dishwasher will last a good few more years but if not it will be Bosch. I definitely don’t blame your landlord.

Unless your contract specifies a like for like replacement when appliances fail, then you don’t have a leg to stand on. But surely you know this?

I can’t imagine the contract specifies appliance brands, but check it and see.

My LG dishwasher has lasted 10 years it was £200 it is integrated so that is a bonus nobody can see it isn't Meile .

Absolutely not.
I replaced my 3 year old Bosch with a cheap Polish dishwasher, Amica. Best dishwasher ever! It had a tinny sound upon shutting the door and it didn’t have any bells and whistles, but it cleaned dishes better than any dishwasher I’ve ever owned. It was a workhorse.
It had the Polish work ethic and strength. German design is lovely and all, and I now have a Neff in my new house. I still miss my industrious Amica. Still rate it higher than my very expensive Neff dishwasher. The less tech on a dishwasher, the longer it’ll last. The motherboards die young and replacing them is as expensive as a new machine.
Anyway, don’t complain. If the current dishwasher works, it works. Get a Miele yourself and take it with you when you leave, is an alternative solution.

It doesn’t really matter- if it breaks in a short time, he’s got to replace it . Even if that’s every year. The brand doesn’t matter here

It's the landlords house they can put whatever they want it doesn't have to be expensive as long as it works 🙂

It really doesn’t matter does it, if it does the job. And if it breaks after 6 months, well, it’s not your problem is it?! lol

🤣🤣🤣 OP can't be expected to put her dishes in a basic dishwasher 😂 I'd like to be there when she asks the landlord that would be hilarious

👏👏👏

The best dishwashers I’ve had have been cheapo Beko’s (including a 2nd hand one off eBay for £50 to see us through while waiting for a fitted kitchen to get done)

The expensive Bosch and Neff dishwashers were both crap and both stopped working days after the warranty periods expired.

How do you know the details of the ins and outs of the LL financial position with respect to the property?

Are you renting the flat unfurnished? If so, the LL is under no obligation to supply white goods, so the fact he/she has done is already a bonus.

If your contract stipulates that white goods are supplied, it must likely doesn't specify exact brands etc. At the end of the day, the LL owns those goods and so yes, you are being precious to expect a particular brand. Maybe the one the LL bought actually had better reviews, maybe the LL thought if it was going to need replacing again soon they'd rather replace a cheap one than an expensive one, maybe the LL can't afford to splash out on a more expensive one.

You can always say to the LL you don't want a cheap dishwasher supplied, buy your own Miele one and take it with you when you leave.

I really hope this is a joke.

Challenge him if you like, OP, but given that he's barely breaking even on the property, expect to get an eviction notice shortly afterwards.
Most rental properties are millstones right now. I was a landlord for 18 months after my mum's death, and the two highlights of that period were when the tenants actually left without waiting for the bailiffs, and on completion day when I sold the place.

Buy cheap, buy twice!

I have a Bosch that’s a very good age now.

Ha, so you've been using a second hand dishwasher?
And now you have a new one, all germ-free and lovely and you're concerned about the brand? Strange old world. They're pretty much all the same, bar the badge on the front.

Depends on the brand.
Having a miele in a rental does seem a bizarre choice for a landlord so I wouldn't expect that. However, I would expect something reputable such as a Bosch, Sharp, Beko, any of those kind of things. What do you mean by a dishwasher from China? What is the brand?

I think you could reasonably complain if the previous dishwasher did x y z and now the new one only does x.

They are not pretty much the same. Otherwise the more expensive brands would be out of business.

Only if a dishwasher that could do y and z is part of the lease.

The point is not the name of brand, but how well it cleans. Miele can be a right pain to mend if they break and they’re not the good value that they used to be. Certainly not so far as cost/replacement is concerned.

Is your stuff getting cleaned properly? If so, then you have no course to grumble in my view.