Let's talk HVAC air filters for a second

[JD Martin]

I've done a few searches but don't see much in the way of discussion about this.

Anyone who has anything more than one or two units, with forced air, is probably familiar with how lax tenants are with changing filters. It's probably one of the most maddening issues that we see in our units. Was at a unit yesterday that's turning over and, despite this tenant having been told several times about changing filters regularly, the last filter that was left looked like an animal got sucked into the intake!

We of course list it in the lease that filters are the tenant's responsibility, that damage to the system because of dirty filters is uncovered, yada yada. We also provide the first clean filter in the system and the first replacement filter at no charge, so that the tenant can change the first filter for free and have a used one for reference when they go buy more. We have someone check them whenever they're in the house for any reason (minor maintenance request, for example), and we have an HVAC company that does a spring & fall service call. All of this, and tenants are still a royal PITA about keeping filters changed.

So what do some of you do, short of schlepping around to all of your units every month and changing them yourself? We have tried leaving a year's worth of filters with the units, only to find 9 clean filters in the close at the end of the lease. We are considering front-loading a lease's worth of charge on filters at the beginning and having them delivered by Amazon via UPS, Postal service, or some other method, in 12 month increments. There's no door-to-door delivery service that I know of locally so a staffer would have to personally deliver them if we used a subscription service.

What ideas do you have? Have I exhausted all possibilities? 

[Mike McCarthy]

As the owner, I'm much more interested in keeping the HVAC system clean and in working order than the tenants ever will.

I would probably schlep once every 2 or 3 months. It gives you a chance to have a look at the house too and head off any possible future issues.