Summer is finally here, and it’s likely most parts of the US are already feeling the heat. While landlords are not obligated to supply their rental units with air conditioning, be aware that if your unit comes equipped with a/c then it has to be in working order.
Here are some tips to servicing and maintaining your existing a/c unit:
You can hire a professional to come in and service the a/c unit every season and it might cost you about $75-$100 per visit. Servicing should include checking and cleaning of coils, checking refrigerant levels, and inspecting the overall condition of compressor and capacitors. If these items are not working properly, the air conditioning unit might not be working up to it’s potential. Filters should be changed on a schedule. At best, they should be swapped out monthly, but you might be okay if you wait up to 6 or 8 weeks. If you trust your tenant to perform this task, perhaps you could provide them with filters for the year. If not, then make sure you set reminders for yourself or your property manager to go over and have the filters changed out regularly. Remember, failure to have a working a/c unit in a rental unit that was equipped with one at lease signing is a violation of your agreement. Your tenant could void the contract at any time. So, make sure to have the unit checked out and properly taken care of so you don’t have any major problems in the middle of a heat wave. Visit our website http://www.alwaysscreen.com for this and other summertime tips for property management and subscribe to our blog. Follow ATS Inc. on Twitter.
