Broken Cooktop

[Jacquelene1]

So, my lovely renters broke the glass cooktop of my old, but perfectly good oven. I can't find a part to replace it. If I could find it, it would cost $675 in labour to replace!! It looks like I will need to buy a new stove. I don't have much time before the next renters. What now? What do I charge these people. I had no plans to replace it. What do I charge them? I wouldn't dream of trying to get them to pay for a new oven but, I wouldn't have needed one for years I don't think. 

[Brian2036]

@Jacquelene1 

If your oven is more than 10 years old it would be considered fully depreciated and essentially worthless.

You could probably find a serviceable used one on Craigslist or in a thrift store for $50 or less.

 I would ask them to pay the cost of a used one plus installation, maybe $100 total.

 If they refuse to pay, Airbnb probably won’t help you, and even if they do they won’t pay for a new one.

[Jacquelene1]

I searched both craistslist and kijiji. Nothing is remotely close to that in price.  And like I said, I wouldn't even think about getting them to pay for a new oven. 

[Basha0]

Are you in the States? Do you have a Habitat for Humanity store or Restore near you? You can get a new stove at a great discount as builders etc donate to them. 

[Jacquelene1]

Thank you for this! While this did not work out between guests for me, it is a great option and I am very glad to know about ReStore. I am in Canada There is one near my cabin and I will use them in the future. I ended up buying an inexpensive new oven. My guests tried to insist on paying for it in full!!! I did not let them.

[Linda3345]

While it's true that you may be able to find an affordable used stove, it might also be impossible to find one in time for your next renters. Go to an appliance store, and see if they have any scratch and dent ones?  Charge them whatever your "deposit" is, like $100. 

[Jacquelene1]

Thank you. We ended up getting an inexpensive new stove. We had it delivered before our next guests. The guests offered to pay us in full for the new stove, which we did not let them. 

[Laura2592]

@Jacquelene1 so glad you got a new oven! This advice might be moot now: we had tenants (not guests....in a non airbnb property) break a glass cooktop by dropping a cast iron skillet. It's actually not uncommon according to many frustrated cooks we found online with the same problem. The first lesson was that we do not stock our ABB with cast iron.  We also have a note in our house guide that we don't permit cooking with cast iron on our cooktop to prevent breakage. Not something we can enforce and certainly most people (you would think...) would not travel with a cast iron skillet, but it's there as a disclaimer. 

After our tenants broke the stove we found a brand new electric replacement with coils. It was stainless steel and looked nice /was decent quality but a little cheaper than the glass cooktop with the same specs. Definitely a better choice for strangers to handle roughly.  

[Linda3345]

Food for thought for me, as I do have my prized glass-top stove in the AirBnb, while I am making do with an older, but well-working stove with coils, down in our apartment.  I have thought of switching them, but not sure. 

[Jacquelene1]

I couldn't find a new stove with coils!! I sure tried.  We ended up with glass again. It was such a short window between guests to replace. There is no gas at the cabin so this wasn't an option. I have 1 beautiful blue cast iron pan and a cast iron casserole pot. I i should take them away. Thank you!