HVAC in first rental not working, need help

[Mushtaq G.]

Hi, I just purchased my first rental, two months into journey I get this dreaded call from my tenant yesterday that A/C is not cooling, I immediately call the service guy that maintained the unit in past, he charged me $200 for 2 lb freon, I though the issue is resolved, this morning I get the call that A/C is not working, I am stressed out on what to do, need advice on 1. Should I try to fix the unit 2. Should I get a temporary fix and get home warranty, is this advisable 3. Should I buy new unit as tech is suspecting leak Please advice, I already spent a lot on maintenance and spending more will bury me in debt Appreciate response and help

[Katrina P.]

First, calm down, it's gonna be okay :). I remember when I first got started how that first few maintenance calls felt - heck, even today I don't like seeing calls/texts from my tenants. But it's the nature of the game we're in, and we want to keep them happy. First thing's first: get it working asap, then fully assess the problem. Have a professional or (preferably) 3 give you a prognosis for that unit. Is it on its last leg? Needs to be replaced immediately? Or do you have another year to plan for it? Determine the cost of fixing vs replacing and how much time fixing it will buy you. And like others said, how old is the unit? If it's over 20 years old, it has probably lived its life cycle. Calm down and act logically. You've got this!