electrical goods within a property

Tenancy Deposits

A friend of mine has just given notice on a flat he has been in for 18 months - very good tenant. He was on a rolling contract but never signed the initial one for some reason. He has just noticed that in the contract he has to either buy the fridge at £375.00 from his deposit or they will take 40% of the fridge value from his deposit for the fridge. The fridge had been used by the previous tenant, so it was not new when he moved in. I was under the impression that a landlord couldn't charge a tenant for white goods in the apartment unless they were damaged wilfully, and would have to fix anything they had in the apartment. The landlord is ultimately responsible for their upkeep and replacement. Is this true? Can he refuse to accept this hidden charge? Would he have a strong case. Is there anything he can state to them? Also seeing that he never signed the original tenancy agreement as this was over looked.

Many thanks for any comments