Central Air vs. Mini Splits

[Sam McCormack]

Context: I have a duplex and each unit is about 550-600 sqft, 1bd/1ba units. Unit 1 has a central air (heating and cooling). Unit 2, only has heat and window units for cooling. All 3 Central Air units here are 30 years old, probably need to be replaced in the next 5 years

Pros of Mini Splits: 

Tenants can control each room temp, More energy efficient, Significantly cheaper/lower maintenance (especially considering units are small)

Cons of Mini Splits: 

Likely to rent lower (maybe between $50/unit), interfere with unit space, not sure if they last as long as Central Air systems

Just curious of everyone's experience and what they might recommend!

[Jennifer Hoyer]

They are great for individual room control, don't interfere with space since they're on a wall, but you need more of them (likely 2 in each unit). They don't seem to affect rent price one way or the other.  Maintenance is everything. They are not cheaper to maintain.  They will grow moldy if not maintained adequately and the annual maintenance cost is higher than a general A/C clean & check. I manage a home that has 7 minisplits and they were not placed on a regular cleaning schedule so we have to have them deep cleaned now at over $100 each.  Cheaper than replacing them and nowadays there are less invasive ways to clean them using enzyme solutions etc (they don't have to remove them from the wall and take them apart anymore). Hope this helps!