Tenant Breaking Lease due to Temperature in House

[Caleb Smith]

Need advice for a current situation.

A resident told me today that they can no longer live in the house they are renting from me because the main floor of the house is too cold.

We have had a professional look at the furnace and say everything is fine. I also had an insulation company add insulation to the attic of the home to help.

In the resident's defense, this house is old and my not have the best air circulation. I don't have much background with the house since we just purchased it in December and he was our first resident.

I told the resident he can buy out of the lease by giving me a 30 day notice and paying a termination fee worth one month's rent.

He then told me that I owe him money since I did not fulfill my part of the lease agreement by keeping the house warm.

Any tips or ways to navigate this situation would be appreciated.

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @Caleb Smith:

Need advice for a current situation.

A resident told me today that they can no longer live in the house they are renting from me because the main floor of the house is too cold.

We have had a professional look at the furnace and say everything is fine. I also had an insulation company add insulation to the attic of the home to help.

In the resident's defense, this house is old and my not have the best air circulation. I don't have much background with the house since we just purchased it in December and he was our first resident.

I told the resident he can buy out of the lease by giving me a 30 day notice and paying a termination fee worth one month's rent.

He then told me that I owe him money since I did not fulfill my part of the lease agreement by keeping the house warm.

Any tips or ways to navigate this situation would be appreciated.

They may be using the heat as an excuse to get out and the demand for money is just a way of scaring you into letting them go.

I would tell the tenant to call you when it's failing to maintain temperature. You can travel over with a couple thermometers and hang out for 15 minutes to verify if there's a disparity between the thermostat and the room temperature. That will either prove him right or expose him.

If he refuses to participate, it would be reasonable to assume he's at least exaggerating the issue.