I own a rental, single-family home. The HOA notified me recently about a violation where my tenant’s portable AC unit vent is visible from the street. I notified the tenants that the HOA is giving them 7 days to remove it, but they don’t want to comply. The home can get quite hot especially the second floor during summer. The tenants also mentioned that she has some health problems. They are good tenants and I know that the second floor gets really hot even with a central AC.
The tenants were given the HOA rules upon move-in so they know that window ACs are not allowed.
I previously had several HVAC contractors come by and tried to resolve this problem by installing something to move the air more efficiently to the second floor. It didn’t make much of a difference (according to the tenants.)
Any suggestions on how I should deal with this situation with the HOA management so the tenants can keep the portable AC?
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
How can I get the second floor cooler? HOA doesn’t want window ACs.
About the author
Jana Christo is a business owner, real estate investor, and property manager. She has 16 years of experience in most areas of real estate.
During the last recession, she was also the managing partner for a company that bought and rehabbed properties from the court foreclosure auctions. Today, she manages her own portfolio of rental properties and shares her experience on Rentce.com.
Norman, make sure the problem is really the AC. Sometimes tenants want out of the lease and they will come up with all kinds of complaints. If you think this is a legitimate issue, ask the tenants to submit a “reasonable accommodation” request to you. If they have a note from their doctor that will be great. Submit this information to the HOA for approval. Reasonable accommodation can usually be requested only by people with disabilities. Here is a link to a sample accommodation request letter.