Don't count on Tenants to change air filters

[Scott Stevens]

Just a word of advice, don't count on your tenants to change the air filters in your home. I saw a work order from the management company late last night saying the ac stopped and today, Sunday, went over in the morning to try and troubleshoot it. I picked up 2 air filters on the way out there suspecting they may not have been changed and sure enough, the 90 day filters still had my initials and date when I changed them in January prior to tenant moving in. They weren't super dirty, just never changed. 

I called my property manager who told me when I signed on with him that he goes in every 3 months to change filters because tenants just don't do it (he was right, this one didn't). I asked him if he had been checking on it and he had said it was a tenant responsibility. Anyways, they do the best job in the area getting places rented to qualified tenants in a super fast manner and the home was in great shape, so I wasn't gonna argue with him or try to place blame on the tenant. After I figured out the problem, I called my AC company who thankfully could come out to replace a capacitor to the tune of just over $200 since it was considered overtime on a Sunday. 

I was gonna change it myself as that's what I suspected it to be, but Lowe's doesn't carry capacitors, neither does Ace Hardware and trying to find an ac parts place here in the south that is open on Sunday is impossible. I was just glad my preffered AC company could get it fixed quickly for the tenant. I will now be having them do semi annual maintenance at the home and checking the air filters when they do it and having the manager check them during his 6 month and year inspections. The AC company mentioned a high efficiency air filter from April Air that they could configure the indoor unit to fit and it only needs to be replaced once a year and would eliminate the need for the two filters in the house. I am gonna look into them installing it and them chaning it annually. 

So, just a recommendation, don't trust a management company when they say that tenants will definitely change air filters because the lease says they have to. This one didn't. Great if they do it, but don't count on it. It requires a special trip to Lowe's, Home Depot, or Walmart and I'm speculating most tenant's don't care to even go down that aisle in Walmart while they are there. Find a way to ensure they are being changed without relying on a tenant to.