HVAC issue - Landlord Forum thread 354216

HVAC issue by Anonymous (AZ) on September 13, 2017 @00:21

Good tenant of 7 years. Complaining about A/C costs. His bill is not overly high for Arizona-about $250/mo. for 800 sq. ft. We've had a very hot summer and this past month has been exceptionally humid as well. I will admit that the HVAC unit, a combination heat and A/C, is not top of the line. I had it put in in an emergency when the gas line to the heat was leaking 15 years ago and this unit was the quickest repair I could find in the middle of winter. I had the repairman out this week and he replaced the fan motor, cleaned the condensate line and pronounced the unit in good shape. $600. Tenant is still complaining. I am not sure what to do next.
I should say that the tenant and his new wife just had a baby and he is suddenly finding himself "short in the pockets" as he tells me.

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Re: HVAC issue by Anonymous on September 13, 2017 @02:58	[ Reply ]

How about having an electrician check out everything to be sure that there is nothing that is affecting the power usage. You could also insure you have proper insulation installed for your climate conditions. Insulated windows. Caulking and proper weatherstripping around doors and windows. Ceiling fans. Check water heater if electric for proper temperature setting. Frig control stuck on defrost cycle. Your $250/mo electric bill seems to be higher than average according to local reported estimates around the state.

Re: HVAC issue by lamac66 (ga) on September 13, 2017 @12:42	[ Reply ]

You have addressed the issue. It is an older unit. Perhaps a new unit is in order. You may want to consider getting a new unit, however consider raising the rent may be an option too. If the tenant feels the unit is causing the "high" bill, a lower bill will allow them to afford the higher rent.

Re: HVAC issue by Greg on September 13, 2017 @17:58	[ Reply ]

High AC costs are part of living in Arizona. While $250 a month may seem high there are a few easy things to check: 1. Clean Your Air Conditioner Condenser Unit - Very easy to do and having this clean helps the efficiency. 2. Find out what your temperature split is on your AC unit. This will tell you how well your unit is working. 3. Make sure your tenants are changing their AC filters. I give my tenants free filters and most of them are still too lazy to change them. Explain to your tenants that changing filters monthly keeps their electric bills lower. Anytime you change the filters write the date on them. 4. Find out what temperate your tenant sets their AC to. I had a tenant from Utah who set the AC at 72 in the summer. AC units are not designed to run non stop. 5. Is this a SFH or a multi unit rental? What are the other units cost per month? 6. When you replaced the unit 15 years ago was it sized correctly for the house? Best of luck, Greg in Phoenix

Re: HVAC issue by Anonymous on September 17, 2017 @13:18	[ Reply ]

Tell the T he can break the lease and move without penalty if he is unhappy with the current AC equipment. Usually the complaining is the start of an exiting T anyway.