HVAC-Related Tips for Property Landlords, Part 1

HVAC-Related Tips for Property Landlords, Part 1

If you’re considering renting your property out and becoming a landlord, or even if you’ve been doing this for years, one of the most important areas of maintenance and upkeep will be your HVAC system. It’s vital that tenants have proper air quality and comfort within a rented home, but also very important that tenants understand which areas of maintenance are in their court as well.

At Airtime Heating & Cooling, we’ll provide landlords and their tenants a full range of air conditioning and heating services, from basic tune-ups to any major replacements or installations your HVAC system needs. This two-part blog will go over several tips we can offer landlords on maintaining an effective, low-hassle HVAC system – from buying the home in the first place to your general approach and, finally, some specific areas to keep an eye on.

Initial Inspection Before Buying

First things first: Whether or not you’re planning to rent a home after buying it, a major part of your inspection process should involve the HVAC system and its various components. All home purchases should be made after a professional third-party inspection and appraisal, one where this objective party can let you know if there are any issues with the air conditioner, furnace, water heater, vents and several other related areas.

If such issues are present, you have a couple options. The first will be to demand a price reduction, which you’ll often get. The second would be to require that the seller attend to the issues themselves before you pay their original asking price. In either case, don’t allow yourself to be taken advantage of and discover HVAC issues after you’ve already signed the paperwork.

General Landlord Approach

We’re often asked by our clients, particularly those attempting landlord services for the first time, how to approach this situation. Our broad recommendation: Proceed as if you expect nothing out of your tenants.

Of course, many good tenants will be diligent about their HVAC responsibilities. They will change furnace and AC filters regularly if you provide replacement filters, for instance, and will keep an eye out for signs of HVAC issues and report back to you. Unfortunately, though, not all tenants are like this – many will neglect these responsibilities, even if they’re in the lease. You have to be prepared for the lowest common denominator here: Assume you have to do everything when it comes to HVAC care, and adjust accordingly if your tenants prove otherwise.

Standard Maintenance

Generally speaking, the primary role of a landlord with regard to the HVAC system is checking in for standard maintenance. The landlord is in charge of bi-annual tune-ups, for instance, during which components can be inspected to ensure they’re functioning properly. This will not only keep you in compliance will all laws and regulations, but will also extend the life of several components and save you money in the long run.

For more on how to operate as a landlord when it comes to HVAC care, or to learn about any of our heating or air conditioning services, speak to the pros at Airtime Heating & Cooling today.

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