Are Landlords Responsible for Air Conditioning?

If you own rental properties in the Central Valley one thing is for certain, it does get hotter in the Central Valley than it does in other areas of California and this may lead some tenants to think that as a landlord you are required to provide air conditioning in the rental property.

Thanks to that “implied warranty of habitability”, we know that the law states that landlords are not required to provide air conditioning in California.

Although many landlords do provide air conditioning by default, the reality is that the duty of the landlord / owner is to first make sure that the rental property is in habitable condition before renting it out.

What Does Habitable Condition Mean?

When a rental property is considered to be in habitable condition, the property must have fully operational electricity, plumbing, sinks, toilets, and working bathtub or shower.

Besides having all of these features, the rental property must also be clean, sanitary, have a roof that doesn’t leak, doors that lock, and be free of any hazardous materials like: asbestos, mold or lead.

If a rental property meets this criterion, it will be considered to be a “habitable rental property”.

Unfortunately though, in Central Valley, where it is hotter than most cities in California, if a rental property does not have air conditioning, that will make it difficult for a landlord to rent the rental property because of the obvious fact that the tenant will not be able to keep it cool during the summer months.

This is why every landlord should consider installing an air conditioner in their rental property if it’s not currently equipped with one.

Contact RPM Central Valley

For questions regarding this issue, or to speak with us about our Property Management Services, contact RPM Central Valley today by calling us at 209-572-2222 or click here to connect with us online.