AC unit Vandalism at Property
Hi all! My husband and I are part- time real estate investors. We currently own/manage 3 properties, so I would consider us to still be pretty new to the process. Recently, we have encountered some issues with vandalism at one of our properties. Twice in the past 6 months, we have had someone (not the tenant) purposely damaging the AC unit. Yesterday, after receiving a call from the tenant about the AC unit not cooling, I called my usually AC repair guy. He determined that the coil within the unit had been so badly damaged with a screw driver, and could no longer hold Freon. I replaced this coil less than 6 months ago. Has anyone else had a similar problem? What did you do? Is there a way to make a property "vandal proof" or should I cut my losses and sell the property. Thanks in advance for your feedback and help.
Most Popular Reply
"Vandal proof"? No such thing. Someone hell bent on doing damage will find a way. It might even be a drunk / intoxicated tenant taking his monetary frustrations out on the landlord.
However, you can ask your HVAC contractor about cages and other options to protect the condensing unit (the outdoor part).