Rental Home A/C Breaks. Now What?

The intense South Texas heat can put any air conditioner at risk of breaking down. When the A/C breaks in a home you own, chances are you already know what to do — call an HVAC technician to inspect and make repairs. If you’re in a rental home, however, the solution isn’t so simple. Read on to learn what you should do in the event your rental A/C breaks down.

Notify the Landlord

You should always notify your landlord whenever there’s a problem with your rental A/C. In addition to calling your landlord or talking with them in person, you should also submit your complaint in writing via certified mail to secure your legal rights as a paying tenant.

Wait for Repairs

Texas law requires landlords to correct problems that affect the health and safety of tenants. If you can stand the heat, you can wait for your landlord to make the appropriate repairs.

Live With It Until the Lease Ends

If you only have a few weeks left on your lease, you can try to tough it out until your lease runs out. In the meantime, you can purchase a portable A/C unit or extra fans to make life without your ordinary A/C a bit more bearable.

Make the Repairs Yourself

If you have a long-term lease you’re not willing to break early, you can hire a skilled HVAC technician on your own to repair or replace your rental A/C system. Keep in mind that you may not be reimbursed for the cost of the repairs or replacement, plus you’ll also be on the hook for any damages caused in the process.

Don’t Withhold Your Rent

While some states allow you to take this drastic step, withholding rent over property repairs could get you evicted in Texas.

To learn more about your A/C repair options, contact the experts at CCAC. We proudly serve the Coastal Bend area and have done so since 1979.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Corpus Christi, Texas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about your HVAC system, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 361-678-2495.