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I live in Phoenix, AZ. The house I rent has a a/c until that is nearly 20 years old.
I contacted my property manager to let them know that my a/c unit is struggling to stay at 82 degrees. In response to this, he sent out a local a/c repair company. After the repair person looked at the unit, he said it was in bad shape. The condenser coil was shot and needed replacement because it is doing a poor job of keeping the compressor below 120 degrees (in fact the readings were pretty close to fluctuating 128 degrees), and even went as far as saying it could potentially become a fire hazard as the heat increases inside the unit.
This explains why my electric bill is nearly $400 for a single story, 1400 sq ft home, and the hottest part of summer isn’t even here yet.
I have not spoken to the property manager yet about it as I am waiting for the a/c company to send it’s findings over to them first. But, because most good quality a/c units here in AZ last anywhere between 12-15 years, it’s no wonder this old unit is struggling and has many issues.
Also, the home warranty company that the property manager uses doesn’t cover much. Apparently they don’t even cover cleaning of the unit or preventive maintenance either, and the a/c company can’t even add refrigerant to the unit until it is professionally cleaned. Not sure why this is, but I was told it will cost nearly $200 that the property manager and warranty company won’t pay for.
The a/c people said that even adding refrigerant to the unit won’t make the issue any better, even if I was willing to pay out of my own pocket, because that condenser coil needs replacement and, from what I’m told isn’t even worth the time because of how much it costs.
So I’m just curious as to where I stand now. I have 8 months left in my current lease. Do I fight the property manager over this or just ride it through and hope the damn unit doesn’t catch on fire in the middle of the night? Also, the owner of the house supposedly lives in Australia, so there is no hope of getting in touch of them, whoever they are.
Am I being unreasonable to request a new a/c unit be added to the property?
If the a/c unit cannot keep the house at 78 degrees or below, I'd say you should ask them to replace it, and pronto. It doesn't matter why it cannot keep the house cool - it just matters that it cannot. It's up to them to decide whether to repair it or replace. But I think that you should inform them that if it is not repaired in a week, you want out of the lease. And you want compensation for the lack of A/C.
You've been on borrowed time for five years; maybe even more.
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I live in Phoenix, AZ. The house I rent has a a/c until that is nearly 20 years old.
Am I being unreasonable to request a new a/c unit be added to the property?
Request? No. Expect or demand? Yes.
You have the right to MOVE to a place with newer, better, less expensive appliances and all that.
8mo's until your lease ends? LL is playing with fire.
But when this equipment does gets replaced? 4 or 5 other things will be getting done to the place at the same time
and the rent will be going up to reflect the remodeled condition.
If the a/c unit cannot keep the house at 78 degrees or below, I'd say you should ask them to replace it, and pronto. It doesn't matter why it cannot keep the house cool - it just matters that it cannot. It's up to them to decide whether to repair it or replace. But I think that you should inform them that if it is not repaired in a week, you want out of the lease. And you want compensation for the lack of A/C.
Ok thanks. I’ll probably contact the tenant union here and see how I can get the lease break options going if need be.
You've been on borrowed time for five years; maybe even more.
Request? No. Expect or demand? Yes.
You have the right to MOVE to a place with newer, better, less expensive appliances and all that.
8mo's until your lease ends? LL is playing with fire.
But when this equipment does gets replaced? 4 or 5 other things will be getting done to the place at the same time
and the rent will be going up to reflect the remodeled condition.
More than likely. Ok. Well thanks for the reply. I’m just trying to get a gauge on where I stand when my property manager gets notified of the demand the unit gets replaced.
39-5 Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems; health and safety condition
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b. Cooling requirements. Every rental housing unit where such systems are installed shall have cooling capable of safely cooling all habitable rooms, bathrooms and flushing toilet rooms to a temperature no greater than 86 degrees Fahrenheit, if cooled by evaporative cooling, or 82 degrees Fahrenheit, if cooled by air conditioning. Temperature measurements shall be taken at a distance three feet above the floor in the center of the room. Required cooling shall be provided by permanently installed cooling facilities. +1
How did things work out with the water heater problem in February? Or the garage door from December?
Or the tree trimming last summer? Were there other issues with this owner or have all your LL's been a problem for you?
How did things work out with the water heater problem in February? Or the garage door from December?
Or the tree trimming last summer? Were there other issues with this owner or have all your LL's been a problem for you?
Got it all resolved. A new water heater plus I didn’t pay rent for 3/4 of that entire month because no hot water. The garage door was repaired and now works as intended. Don’t recall anything about tree trimming. One issue I think you are talking about is the HOA saying that I needed to add more plants. Told my property manager that it isn’t my problem. Said the same to the HOA. It’s been like 10 months since and haven’t heard a peep. I’m fairly certain that the property manager was trying to bully me into adding more plants, but, the tenants Union was able to set them straight on it and it’s been good since.
I wouldn't wait. I'd tell them to provide functional a/c and refund your rent for the time you didn't have it. Plus I would start looking for a new unit, and plan on breaking the lease, because there is no functional a/c if they don't take care of it fast.
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