Investor · Austin, TX · Member since 2014 · 217 posts · 170 votes
I have had about 7 or 8 window units A/C's stolen from me over the last year or so. It happens right as the tenant is moving out. Sometimes, in the case of an eviction, I think the tenant may have stolen them, but mostly I think it's just opportunistic scavengers who see the U-Haul in the driveway and come back that night to take them. Several of our units are in low rent areas, where central a/c doesn't make sense.
How is the best way to secure these things so they are less likely to get stolen? The only thing that I know worked once was star head screws, accidentally. They came and ripped out a big piece of drywall trying to get the A/C out of the wall, but I guess all they brought was a phillips screwdriver.
I was thinking of installing some plywood pieces for each side of the A/C, maybe that would make it look too difficult to pull out?
Which is more likely: a thief who waits until tenants are moving out and steals only the A/C or a tenant that steals your A/C on the way out the door thinking you'll never go after them?
You should have learned your lesson after the third or fourth one. Stop buying A/C units! If the tenants want window A/C, they can buy their own. Problem solved.
Which is more likely: a thief who waits until tenants are moving out and steals only the A/C or a tenant that steals your A/C on the way out the door thinking you'll never go after them?
You should have learned your lesson after the third or fourth one. Stop buying A/C units! If the tenants want window A/C, they can buy their own. Problem solved.
No thanks @Nathan Gesner that might work in Wyoming, but in Texas, a low income house without any air conditioning will sit on the market forever or will get less rent.
It doesn't make sense to rent your unit at market rate with window A/C units and then have the units stolen. That means you are getting less than market rate.
Drop the rent $50 a month and make the tenants bring their own. Or you can install a split A/C system that will cool better and remove the threat of theft.
If the A/C unit is missing at the time you inspect the property with the tenant, then they are responsible for replacing it. If you don't have another tenant lined up to move in immediately, take the unit out of the window and place it inside the house where it is secured. If you go through A/C units that quickly, you may want to increase the rent slightly so that extra rent goes towards A/C unit replacement. Even another $20 a month will add up.
Without A/C in Texas you will not have very many prospective renters. Vacancy rates will rise quickly.
Maybe you could try an Iron A/C cage on the outside and a separate security deposit (maybe around $300 or so) to cover the A/C.
The cages are ugly, but in many window A/C communities the residents understand that their neighbors (and their neighbors visitors) may be, shall we say sometimes "theft prone", and the bars can be explained as break in deterrents to keep their belongings safe.
They also blend in better in a light color vs. black.
If a prospect balks at the $300 and you want them, you could always offer to wrap it into the first 10 month of payments. You know, finance the deposit at zero interest.
Just make it very VERY clear to them (verbally) that they are not buying the A/C and that if it's missing or damaged they lose the deposit.
$300 to a Texas window A/C type tenant is a LOT of hard earned (or borrowed from a family member) money.
I'm thinking I might just try and get better at pulling the units into the house when they move out. It's usually the second visit that I notice them missing, like tenant moves out on a Tuesday, I go over and take a look around on Wednesday, change the locks and put on a lockbox, then by the time i come back on Saturday to get it cleaned up, units at the back of the property will be missing. If I pull all units into the house on that first visit, I think I can avoid most of these losses.
That plus some of those sliding window locks would help I'm sure.
Window units are very common in New Orleans also. Even in nicer and safe neighborhoods. I have them in three of my properties, including my own personal home. I've never had one stolen, but I think we put the bar cages around all/most of them.
I live in a good B-class neighborhood and have bars around them. Still, my neighbor down the street had one stolen out of his window and that was with someone living there. I don't think he had bars around it, though.
So let's see, they wont bring their own, you can only charge so much in rent either way, and they tend to take it with them when they go. Where I wonder, do all the stolen ones end up? I would think everyone would have them if landlords are buying them left and right.
Sounds like the cost of doing business in your area to me. An expensive one.
I might meet the tenant and let them watch me put it in my truck, and then install it later for the new tenant when they move in. I suppose you could put it inside and change the locks - but you might end up with a broken door or window if the damn things really are such a HOT commodity. The cage might work for less hassle, or you might be replacing part of the wall too. I bet I could get one of those off pretty quick.
Do they steal stationary compressors too? If not, maybe that's the solution. Put the compressor on the roof maybe???
yeah and even if you have to replace them every couple of years though, they are still cheaper than converting to central HVAC. That big outside compressor also gets stolen in some of our communities.
You can't prevent people from stealing stuff. You can only make it harder so hopefully they move on to another target. Here a locked gate on the yard is good enough. Other places you need much tougher security. I have seen a few central AC outside condenser units to be missing with lines cut.