Keeping it real
Kitchen work surfaces are tricky things to fix, especially if they are made of one piece of laminate or tile. Finding a piece to match, or disguising the join can be time-consuming and really difficult. Of course, there’s always the option of not bothering at all, as this landlord has decided to do.
Instead of replacing the whole work surface, which would have been expensive, or trying to match the new section and disguise the join, which would have taken a while, he’s gone for the “keeping it real” option. This involves grabbing any old piece of wood, and fixing it to the end of the unit, problem solved.