Landlord Controlled Thermostat Recommendations

[Brad Babiak]

I own a 4 unit building (single family home converted to 4 separate units) by the University of Cincinnati which is rented to students. The utilities are not separately metered and I do not live in the building.  My tenants are keeping the building at not budget friendly temperatures and I am looking to correct this.  

Is there a programmable thermostat that I can set limits on?  I would like the tenants to still be able to change the temp on the unit but not go above 72 degrees in the winter and 68 in the summer.  It would also be helpful if I can control it remotely through my phone.  I first thought of the Google Nest however am not sure if this will allow me to set limits or require a password for changes outside of those limits.     

[Nathan Gesner]

68 in the summer? That seems awfully generous. I think most experts would tell you that 76 - 78 is about the lowest you should go.

Ecobee makes a thermostat that lets you set limits and control the unit remotely (requires WiFi). 

Another option is to include utilities up to a certain dollar amount. If the tenants exceed that limit, you pass the charge on to them.