AC Issues—What would you do

[Lindsay Matthews]

Tenant texted one evening that the ac wasn’t working. The next morning I show up with a hvac repair guy. Tenant tells us that the ac unit has been making a loud noise for the past two weeks, but just stopped working the evening before. Hvac guy tells me to get a new unit ($6500), but that if we would have called when the noise started he probably would have been able to repair it. We live in the desert (high 90s, low 100s temp). The hvac company is booked and won’t be able to put in the new unit for 2.5 weeks. (We called 4 other hvac companies and the timelines were all over 2 weeks as well.) I supplied two portable ac units for the tenants, but they have requested $$ deducted from their rent for the inconvenience. What would you do?

***unit is 14 yrs old. Whatever caused the noise burnt out the compressor, which is not made anymore. Havac guys refuses to put in a different compressor. We did get a second opinion, but they gave same advice.