Burnt-out light bulbs in a rented apartment | Sheilot

Burnt-out light bulbs in a rented apartment

Question

I rented an apartment from a landlord who doesn’t know how to do repairs himself. From time to time, the light bulbs installed in the plaster ceiling burn out. According to Halacha, am I obligated to replace the bulbs and pay for them, or, since I rented a furnished apartment and received it with working lights, is the responsibility on the landlord? And if I am not obligated, must he reimburse me for the cost of the bulbs I bought at the regular market price, and also pay me for the work of installing the bulbs in the plaster ceiling? Or was I supposed to wait for him to bring his children to do it for free, even though that would have taken at least a week, and in the meantime I would be sitting at home with less light?

Answer

Shalom u’vracha,

All expenses that result from the natural wear and tear of living in the apartment are the responsibility of the tenant, not the landlord.

For example, burnt-out light bulbs.

Answered 21 April 2026 How answers are reviewed
Rabbi Israel Cohen
Answered by
Answers questions at Rav Amram Fried's Beit Horaah
Smicha "Yoreh-Yoreh" (2012), Rav Amram Fried's Beit Horaah
Orach Chaim, Yoreh Deah
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