Next Steps: What to Do When a Rental’s A/C Breaks

Summer vacation! You’ve rented a great house to stay at, with all the comforts of home. Time to kick back and have a good time. Except, when you try to turn on the A/C… it’s broken. Are you really stuck sweltering in the unmitigated Orlando heat for your entire vacation? Not necessarily. Here’s what to do when your rental A/C breaks down.

Look for a simple solution.

Maybe the unit is unplugged. Maybe it’s switched off. Maybe the breaker was tripped and needs to be reset. Look around to see if there’s a simple way to solve the problem and get the unit working again. Don’t do anything you’ll have to pay for, though, unless you know for certain you’ll be reimbursed.

Call the landlord.

Sometimes the property’s owner is on site, or at least nearby, making it easy to get in touch with them and let them know the situation. Even if they’re not, though, you should have a number at which you can reach them. Hopefully they’ll send someone to fix the A/C in a timely manner.

Call an HVAC technician.

If you’re unable to get in touch with the landlord, or if they refuse to fix the rental A/C, then you’ll have to call an HVAC technician yourself. Let your landlord know in advance that this is what you plan on doing if they remain unresponsive, and that you’ll either be giving them the bill directly, or expecting reimbursement. Find a contractor who’s prompt, reputable, and reasonably priced, and let them fix the problem. Keep detailed receipts for any expenses you incur.

Go to the top.

If the landlord refuses to pay or reimburse you, you’ll have to go above their heads. If you’re renting the house through Airbnb, or a similar third party rental service, talk to their customer service department, so they can pressure the host to reimburse you. Otherwise, threaten to take the landlord to court if they don’t pay the necessary expenses.

For more tips on getting your rental A/C fixed, contact us at Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions. We proudly serve Orlando’s HVAC needs.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).