There’s often some confusion about what a landlord has to do to maintain a property and what a tenant has to do. Today, we’re focusing on one particular are, which is the HVAC system in your home.
The largest and most expensive component of your rental property is your HVAC system. Repairs and replacements can cost hundreds and even thousands of dollars. Many owners are concerned about how that system is maintained and what the tenant responsibilities will be when it comes to protecting the heating and cooling functions of the home.
Tenant Responsibilities: Changing the Air Filters
One of the best ways to preserve the life and performance of your HVAC system is by routinely changing the air filters. Therefore, it’s important that your tenant is consistently changing those filters. If the filters get dirty, the HVAC system has to work harder. This results in more wear and tear on every part of your heating and cooling system, and it increases the chances that something could go wrong.
We expect a tenant to change the filters in your system on a regular basis. That’s part of our lease agreement with the tenant. But, it’s easy for them to forget what size of filter is needed. Or, they forget to go to the store or they don’t remember when it’s time to change the filters. We have a program that eliminates the risk that your tenants won’t change the air filters.
Filter Delivery System for Tenants
In our program, filters are mailed to the tenant on a regular basis. The filters are the right size for your property and they have a date stamp on them so we can make sure they’re being changed at the right times. This allows your HVAC system to run more efficiently. It also promotes the health of your system, and you’ll have the peace of mind that damage isn’t being caused by not changing the filters regularly. The tenants don’t have to do anything because these filters will arrive right to the door. It doesn’t require them to go to the store or remember when it’s time to change the filter.
As an owner, this program doesn’t cost you anything. It saves you in repair costs and ensures that your HVAC system will last much longer. If the entire system breaks down, it will be your responsibility to replace it. Unless there is documented tenant damage or neglect, the financial responsibility will fall to the owner of the property. It’s better to mitigate that risk by using something like a filter replacement system.
This is one of the valuable services we offer to the landlords and property owners we work with. Protecting your financial interests and your property is important to us. With regular filter replacement, you’ll know that we’re taking better care of your rental home and its functions.
If you have any questions about property management, or if we can be more help to you, please don’t hesitate to contact us at New Heights Property Management.