How would you save this $120?

Question

This is about what I consider a rookie mistake. I have a nice rental which is about 35-40 min from my home. I was working few Sundays ago and my tenant called stating that the A/C was not cooling. The unit has about 13y so I know it may give up any time.  I do not have it under property management (long story). The tenant has had late payments but has nevertheless paid the corresponding late fees. I have not had issues otherwise and a routine mid lease inspection was unremarkable.

That Sunday I was working. My wife sent an A/C repairman. He checked everything, and it turned out that the thermostat was set at 67 F, which froze the line and therefore could not cool. He educated the tenant and asked them to hold off few hours. Problem solved, unit refilled, diagnosed with a terminally ill motor (about 3-5y left). Service call+Sunday+repair= $120.  Tenant responsible for repairs under $100, so the check came from my bigger pocket.

What would you have done? (besides asking what temp is set to)

- Have a A/C company that would charge you $99? classic Home warranty scheme

- A/C stuff is serious and would always require a quick trip to take a look

- Wait an extra day. I guess it would still be timely. It was February in sunny FL

I welcome your comments and suggestions!

Samantha Klein · Answer

You're $100 repair rule will bite you. I want to be notified about anything that needs to be fixed, I decide if it is necessary or not. Having a tenant responsible for repairs of $100 or less is a disaster waiting to happen? If there's a small problem, they will likely not have it fixed, it will turn into a larger problem and cost more to fix.

Rocky V. · Answer

There more than likely is another issue going on here.  A/C units do not just freeze because temp is set to low.  You did what was right and had a professional look at it.  Anytime I have an AC service call I make sure tech does a thorough inspection while out.  $120 for a service call on a Sunday is very reasonable.  I will only consider back charging tenants if filters are extremely dirty.

Account Closed · Answer

I don't think $120 is bad at all.  I'd install a programmable thermostat - assuming it's a central air unit.  I did this in a condo I had, and it was great.  Set it to cool down the place just before I'd get home from work.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lux-7-Day-Touchscreen-U...

Something else that really helps keep the place cooler, is to run a large floor fan, like this:

http://www.pattonproducts.com/fans/patton-18-inch-...

They make different sizes.  They make a huge difference in cooling down a room.

So, assuming you'd agree, what I'd do, is give them a written letter, something like this.  It would put in writing that you took care of the problem right away, but also put the tenant on notice that he could damage the unit and put some responsibility on him, and also try to help them be more comfortable - which could help keep them from damaging the unit:

Dear Tenant:

I'm sorry you had trouble with the air conditioning unit last Sunday.  Fortunately, I was able to get a repairman to come the same day.  This is what he discovered:

The thermostat had been set to 67 degrees.  Because of the outside temperature, this caused the a/c unit to run continually at full capacity, because it was unable to reach the setting of 67 degrees.  Running non-stop at full capacity caused the unit to freeze up.

The repairman instructed you to simply turn off the unit, so that the motor could cool down, which resulted in the unit working properly again.  The repairman said that the unit was not faulty, but that it is not reasonable to expect it to cool the house down to 67 degrees in these weather conditions.

If you continue to set the unit at 67 degrees during the heat of the day, it could result in serious damage to the unit.  Going forward, I must ask you to keep the setting no lower than ________ (not sure what you should put here), during the hottest hours of the day.

To help you achieve this, I will be installing a programmable thermostat.  You will be able to set it to cool down before you get home from work, etc., but not run at full capacity all day long.  This should also result in a lower electricity bill for you.

I will also be providing you with a floor fan that will circulate the cool air from the floor.  This will also help cool the room down, and use less electricity.

My goals are to keep you as a happy tenant, and prevent serious damage to the air conditioning system, as well.  I hope this plan will achieve both.

I thank you for your cooperation.

You

It will cost you another $100 or so out of pocket, but will be much cheaper than a new air conditioner at this point, and it should keep your tenant from being angry about being told he must live uncomfortably in the rental, and therefore, becoming an unhappy pain to deal with.

Federico L. · Answer

all great suggestions thanks a lot!

Fred Heller · Answer

Not an expert but that sounds a little suspicious to me. A properly operating AC should not freeze up just because the unit can't reach the set temperature.

Federico L. · Answer

@Rocky V. Filters were good. That was his assessment, somehow it froze, and after that it worked fine

@Samantha Klein I guess the idea is to prevent unnecessary calls, I saw that in many contracts and is in the standard FL Realtors contract. But I see your point. Another reason to have a PM that will review each issue on a case by case...

How would you save this $120?

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