Apartment rentals and AC question

[Ruth4Truth]

Well, it seems to me that if apt. bldg mgrs or owners are going to prohibit people from having window units or portable A/C units, the time will come sooner rather than later when they'll have to install central A/C. Because global warming is here, now; it's no longer a matter of toughing out a hot couple of weeks. It's unreasonable for landlords or HOA's to expect people to swelter for months.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by bghouse

I know that Seattle doesn't have that many hot days, but I'm one of those people that reacts terribly to heat. Especially if the place I'm renting runs hotter than outside temps.

I've read that most apartments for rent will not have AC. My question is whether you are allowed to install a window AC unit? Or is using a portable AC unit the only solution? Do they work effectively with the humidity?

And is there hidden list of apartments with AC :-)

Most rental agreements state that if you install any "fixtures", they stay with the premises when you leave - that can arguably include window AC units or ceiling fans. So, ask first, but be prepared to hear either "no" or "you install/we keep".

If there is a hidden list, it is a short one. Why would a landlord or property manager not mention air-conditioning, if it would justify a higher rent? In reality, while many might like to have A/C, relatively few are willing to pay extra for it.

[lookinforhorseparadise]

The most common excuse I have heard is that the landlord fears liability if the traditional window mounted unit falls and injures passersby....the few that said OK said ONLY if their maintenance man installs it. Some landlords don't want them because it looks "trashy" yeah well so does a body bag coming out of the building....so does the fifty year old filthy carpet.

I was also told NO by my landlord about a portable unit, but I was not given an excuse. I wonder if the shoddy old wiring here is behind it? I had to raise hell just to get one working kitchen outlet and a GFI outlet in one bath. In any case, with my window style, having a vent hose would allow anyone to easily pull the window further open and even a linebacker could fit thru...street level with bottom sill waist height. The only way it's safe is with bars on the window andl my landlord refuses. Even still I would have to figure a way to rig it all up. My doctor even wrote them a letter saying why I had medical need for a/c....still nothing. Technically there is a government dept that handles this sort of landlord refusal to make "reasonable accommodations" for legal disability but honestly I have not the energy to engage into a prolonged legal battle, even though they assured me I would win. The building has many other issues and after suffering in here for two hot summers I am more than ready to move. I always. always ask about a/c before even looking at a rental. These folks flat out lied to me and I was in FL when I rented it so I went on their word. BIG MISTAKE. Don't just ask, get it in writing if they say yes. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would have a/c problems in the USA.

[Plenus]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Well, it seems to me that if apt. bldg mgrs or owners are going to prohibit people from having window units or portable A/C units, the time will come sooner rather than later when they'll have to install central A/C. Because global warming is here, now; it's no longer a matter of toughing out a hot couple of weeks. It's unreasonable for landlords or HOA's to expect people to swelter for months.

Have you looked at the average summer temps in the Seattle area over the past 70 years or so? The temps, at best, have only marginally and cyclically become a bit warmer very recently. All indications (historically) are that the summer heat goes up....and then down for a few seasons. There is no evidence that that very minor increase has anything to do with a pattern of global warming. It's not like suddenly in Seattle the summers are going to average 90 degrees for three months....out of the blue.
There have been periods in our weather history where summer averages raised slightly...then decreased.
Nothing abnormal going on.

Most apartments do not need A/C. Especially if one chooses the actual unit wisely. For apartments to instal A/C in a region that has historically shown no serious need for it, would be very expensive. Those costs would need to be passed on to the tenant. As for portables that require venting? If done discretely, they may not even notice. But you can't blame them for not wanting every tenant rigging up A/C units.

[Plenus]

Originally Posted by lookinforhorseparadise

The most common excuse I have heard is that the landlord fears liability if the traditional window mounted unit falls and injures passersby....the few that said OK said ONLY if their maintenance man installs it. Some landlords don't want them because it looks "trashy" yeah well so does a body bag coming out of the building....so does the fifty year old filthy carpet.

I was also told NO by my landlord about a portable unit, but I was not given an excuse. I wonder if the shoddy old wiring here is behind it? I had to raise hell just to get one working kitchen outlet and a GFI outlet in one bath. In any case, with my window style, having a vent hose would allow anyone to easily pull the window further open and even a linebacker could fit thru...street level with bottom sill waist height. The only way it's safe is with bars on the window andl my landlord refuses. Even still I would have to figure a way to rig it all up. My doctor even wrote them a letter saying why I had medical need for a/c....still nothing. Technically there is a government dept that handles this sort of landlord refusal to make "reasonable accommodations" for legal disability but honestly I have not the energy to engage into a prolonged legal battle, even though they assured me I would win. The building has many other issues and after suffering in here for two hot summers I am more than ready to move. I always. always ask about a/c before even looking at a rental. These folks flat out lied to me and I was in FL when I rented it so I went on their word. BIG MISTAKE. Don't just ask, get it in writing if they say yes. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would have a/c problems in the USA.

If you have a disability, it would have been even more important for you to have taken more responsibility for your accommodations and the choice you made to live in this apartment. I realize the mangers lied to you...and I don't excuse that one bit. But you really should have known that apartment staff are generally not noted for integrity. How long a lease did you sign? If you aren't 100% sure about a rental situation, you should always sign up for as short a term as possible until you find out if you like the place and want to stay.

Sounds like you are living in a really crappy place. At least our heat should be pretty much over now. The past couple of weeks have been cool. We might reach 80 or so a very few days...but then that's it.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Well, it seems to me that if apt. bldg mgrs or owners are going to prohibit people from having window units or portable A/C units, the time will come sooner rather than later when they'll have to install central A/C. Because global warming is here, now; it's no longer a matter of toughing out a hot couple of weeks. It's unreasonable for landlords or HOA's to expect people to swelter for months.

Read about the "Northwest Blob":

Cliff Mass Weather Blog: Why is the Northwest so warm?

What is actually going is an amplification of the upper level wave pattern. Now, drop that at a cocktail party and folks will be impressed. The upper level flow, where the jet stream is located, can undulate like a snake, with areas where it slithers northward (a ridge) and others where it projects southward (a trough). During the past year, we have been stuck in a startling persistent pattern with a ridge over the west and a trough over the east.

However, there is growing evidence for an indirect link between global warming and a wavier jet stream:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...swiftly-warms/

One thing we do know is that the polar jet stream—a fast river of wind up where jets fly that circumnavigates the northern hemisphere—has been doing some odd things in recent years. Rather than circling in a relatively straight path, the jet stream has meandered more in north-south waves. In the west, it’s been bulging northward, arguably since December 2013—a pattern dubbed the “Ridiculously Resilient Ridge” by meteorologists. In the east, we’ve seen its southern-dipping counterpart, which I call the “Terribly Tenacious Trough.”