Mold in window AC units

[Meghan McGuire]

I have an old building no central air but I do provide window AC units, I usually install them for them and take them for the winter time. So yesterday I installed them in one of my units and even before they were installed the tenant started texting me about making sure they were clean and mold free because she has gotten sick before from AC’s. So I cleaned them and cleaned the filters. I did not take them apart and clean all the inner workings but I have been using the same AC’s for years and never had one complaint from any other tenant about them making them sick and in fact I lived in the building myself and used them and never had an issue. This tenant is extremely high maintenance and everything is a “health issue” because she has bad allergies she says but she has two cats and her apartment is a mess with cat pee and vomit everywhere. I have already replaced her electric stove with a gas one basically because she didn’t like the way it cooked I put an oven thermometer inside it and it was calibrated perfectly but she said it wasn’t baking properly. I have gone above and beyond for her and satisfied every issue she has had maybe not always immediately but none of her issues have been emergent. So now after one night with the AC’s she is saying they are making her sick and she found 3 black mold dots and she needs money back from her rent because of doctors bills and missing work and that I need to replace the AC’s with new ones. Is this my responsibility in the lease it says I will provide window units for AC I have done that and this point I feel like if she is not happy with what I have provided she should replace them herself. I’m just wondering how someone else would handle this situation or what I am obligated to do