Investor · USA · Member since 2013 · 86 posts · 17 votes
What do you offer your tenants if their heat goes out? I’m replacIng a furnace in one of my units, and my tenants, who just moved in last month, have asked me to place them in a hotel until the work is done. While I’m not looking at doing so, I absolutely don’t want them stuck without heat, so I’ve purchased them 4 good space heaters which should sufficiently warm the home until my HVAC guy can get the install done.
My tenants are wanting the problem remedied as soon as possible, but the replacement may not be done for a week and a half or two weeks. If they ask, should I agree to any additional concessions?
I’d love to hear from more experienced landlords. I want to do the right thing and keep a good relationship with my tenants, but all within reason of course.
You need an HVAC guy that can put it in in a couple days not 1.5 weeks.
Are the space heaters keeping the place warm? Have you checked to confirm?
They may have a high electric bill because you are taking so long to get this fixed. They may ask you to compensate them for the difference in electricity which I think is fair. So you HVAC guy is costing you money and causing I'll will. I would find someone else that can take care of this ASAP.
You need an HVAC guy that can put it in in a couple days not 1.5 weeks.
Are the space heaters keeping the place warm? Have you checked to confirm?
They may have a high electric bill because you are taking so long to get this fixed. They may ask you to compensate them for the difference in electricity which I think is fair. So you HVAC guy is costing you money and causing I'll will. I would find someone else that can take care of this ASAP.
Your weather says it's 70 degrees every day. Sure, it's in the mid 30's at night, but space heaters should be plenty fine for when they sleep. And yes, get a new HVAC guy, quickly.
I would agree, you need to find someone else who can get the furnace in sooner. Providing extra heat is helpful.
In Washington State we have 48 hours to address the situation. I would also suggest that you have them contact their rental insurance policy, as sometime when a unit is not "livable" their renter's insurance will provide an option.
We keep on hand the oil filled radiator type electric space heaters. When we get a "no-heat" call, we look into the situation immediately to see if it's something we can handle. If not, we call the HVAC company for a service call and deliver a sufficient number of space heaters. Our HVAC company is prompt at responding to "no heat" calls.
If we're changing out an old furnace (still working) for a new one, we schedule that with the HVAC company. We confer with the tenant as to the best day and time for the work to be done, to minimize disruption to the tenant. We also have a policy for the owner/landlord (or designee) to be present whenever a contractor is working in the home of our tenant, so we clear our schedule to do so.
Depending on your location, the scope of the project, and what appliances the local HVAC contractors have in stock, it might take a week or longer to complete the job. But see if they can expedite this.
We've never had the need to provide hotel lodging for a "no heat" situation or for the change of an appliance. The home will still be habitable. You've been proactive and have the space heaters ready to go as a back up, so all should be fine. Just make sure the tenants are able and willing to operate the space heaters safely.
Is the furnace electric, gas, or oil? If there's a significant cost difference in the utility bills, you could offer to compensate the tenant for the difference. But seeing how they've been in the house such a short time, it would be difficult to quantify that. I wouldn't mention compensation at this point. If they bring it up, then look into it after the furnace has been replaced. They might actually see a savings with the increased efficiency of the new unit, so the cost of using space heaters for a brief time might be moot.
@Jordan Little
Why are you changing the unit? Why is it now going to take a week?
Generally I provide the oil filled space heaters.
Most hvac guys can get your unit running in 24hrs, unless an odd compressor or entire coil fails. Even then, with the shipping and labor, it's sometimes best to just switch put either the inside or outside unit
Thanks everyone for your replies.
The furnace is a 1999 unit and is unsafe to operate due to a cracked heat exchanger, so I could change out the heat exchanger to the tune of $2500 or replace the furnace for $3800. I’m leaning strongly towards replacing the entire furnace due to its age.
I spent a few hours on the phone today, got a second opinion from a different HVAC company, and found someone who could get a new furnace installed by the end of the week.
So far the tenants are happy with the space heaters. I’ve told them they’re theirs to keep, but I’d like to have some on hand myself for when I get another “no heat” call on another property. Logistics of storing them and having them available would be complicated, however, as I’m all the way across the country from my properties and I use a large property management firm. I’ll have to think on that one.
see if the property management co. can store heaters for you, sometimes they have a storage area for their maintenance guys. i am surprised your PM did not handle this and get someone out there ASAP, especially if they are a large co. like you say. think it is time to get a new PM while your looking at contractors that can take care of things right away for you.
@Jordan Little
Cracked exchanger def a bad deal. Since you're replacing a 20yr old unit, PLEASE make sure they know what they are doing. Make sure the breakers match. There have been efficiency changes since then, so they may need to run more lines. Just ask, so you don't get surprised later