Should My Landlord Pay?

It depends, did the landlord agree to pay for them? You can't force them to buy themselves new coils or caulking for the tub.

You cannot legally deduct it from the rent. (I admit I did that once after I put it in my lease that the landlord would paint the apartment before I moved in and he didn't, but I wanted to force the issue.)

Check your lease. See what it says for repairs done by the tenant. Presumably you notified him that the electric coils were dying, got authorization to do the work and he'll pay you back. Photocopy the receipts before giving them to him. He needs them for his taxes.

No, your landlord should not pay. You didn't ask for these 'repairs' and you did them without permission. Plus, you wasted money. Electric heating coils may be old, but they either work or they do not work. The old ones were fine until they no longer performed.

The caulking is wear and tear.

I would just pay it, but let the landlord know you did. Then when real issues come up, you look better.

How do I (your owner) know you properly replaced the heating coils? What if you screwed up and started a fire? How do I know you didn't seal in a bunch of moisture when you did your caulking, and even as we speak, mold is growing in the wall?

This is why we do not allow tenants to do repairs. Most of the time, they have no idea what they're doing. Believe me-- most of the "tenant repairs" I've seen have to be redone-- sometimes at greater cost than the original fix.

It is always a mystery to me why tenants don't call about things that need to be repaired. You are paying for a place where everything works. It's my job to fix it.

The items you mention are PROBABLY "normal wear." (although four stove burners going out at the same time would make me suspicious.) The tenant is NOT responsible for normal wear. Think of "normal wear" as "Deterioration due to natural forces that act upon a product under average, everyday use." These are items the owner should pay for.

In this case, you could try telling the owner you made the repairs, and he would be within his rights just to say, "Hey! Thanks!" But he might reimburse you. Couldn't hurt to ask.

Next time, contact the owner and tell them about needed repairs, and give him a chance to fix them.

It was your own decision to do these repairs, so the landlord is not obliged to refund you. You could ask, but be prepared for a refusal. It is better to contact the landlord before you do any repairs, so a position of responsibility is determined.