(a) The lessor shall maintain the property subject to the rental-purchase agreement in good working order while the agreement is in effect without charging any fee to the consumer in addition to the regularly scheduled rental payments set forth in the rental-purchase agreement.
(b) By the end of the second business day following the day on which the lessor received notice from the consumer that the property is not operating properly, the lessor shall repair or replace the property without any fee to the consumer in addition to the regularly scheduled rental payments set forth in the rental-purchase agreement.
(c) If a repair or replacement cannot be immediately effected, the lessor shall temporarily substitute property of comparable quality and condition while repairs are being effected. If repairs cannot be completed to the reasonable satisfaction of the consumer within 30 days after the lessor receives notice from the consumer or within a longer period voluntarily agreed to by the consumer, the lessor shall permanently replace the property.
(d) All replacement property shall be the same brand, if available, and comparable in quality, age, condition, and warranty coverage to the replaced property. If the same brand is not available, the brand of the replacement property shall be agreeable to the consumer.
(e) All of the consumer’s and lessor’s rights and obligations under the rental-purchase agreement and this title that applied to the property originally subject to the rental-purchase agreement shall apply to any replacement property.
(f) The consumer shall not be charged, or held liable for, any rental fee for any period of time during which the property that is the subject of the rental-purchase agreement or any property substituted for it pursuant to this section is not in good working order.
(g) This section does not apply to the repair of damage resulting from the consumer’s intentional, willful, wanton, reckless, or negligent conduct. If the lessor does not comply with this section because of this subdivision, the lessor has the burden of proof to establish that noncompliance was justified and in good faith.
(h) A lessor shall not deliver to a consumer any property which the lessor knows or has reason to know is defective.
(Added by Stats. 1994, Ch. 1026, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1995.)