Tenants Asking for Me to Subsidize Their Electricity Bill

[Ralph Miller]

I have tenants asking me to subsidize their electricity bill bc it more than doubled in the month of May-June.....this is the story.  Please provide input.

About two weeks ago their AC unit broke.  I immediately had a technician go and fix it (the next day).  It was apparently the capacitor and AC motor fan.  Repairs cost me about $700.  However, the AC unit is running a little rough and it is having a difficult time keeping the house cool so I am replacing the whole thing next week for about $2500.  Additionally, I bought them a window AC unit to use for the time being.  It will have been about 2.5 weeks since the initial problem with the AC unit started.

My tenants are saying that their May-June electricity bill is twice as high as it usually is, claiming it's because the HVAC unit has been running inefficiently due to the motor fan failure.  Thus, they're asking if I can subsidize half of the electricity bill for them.  Has anyone heard of this before?  Also, the months of May-June have gotten significantly hotter since it is the summer months, so I'm inclined to believe the electricity bill increased due to the weather, not because the AC unit has been operating inefficiently.  Any inputs?  Thanks in advance!  I love the BP community!

[Terrell Garren]

"I've disconnected your air conditioning". Unnecessarily heartless and unbelievable given the details provided.  A poorly functioning AC unit can certainly double the cost during hot weather. If they are good tenants, look for an acceptable compromise. If they are great tenants, I would pay half.