Landlords do not have to provide air conditioning to renters

People who rent their apartment or home may suffer during the hot months of summer.

“There is no requirement that air conditioning be provided,” said Neighborhood Services Manager Leigh Kottwitz.

She said if air conditioning is present when a person begins their lease then the landlord is obligated to keep up with repairs but they do not have to provide an air conditioner to rent out their property.

“if you had a working air conditioner when you moved in then your landlord is required to fix it in a timely manner if it stops working,” she said.

The repair should be completed within a “reasonable time” but Kottwitz said fixing the issue may take several days during the busy summer months.

She said if a landlord does not provide an air conditioner then a tenant can buy a window unit.

University Hospital Dr. Christopher Sampson said he has already seen several people visit the emergency room this summer for heat exhaustion.

“People should watch out for signs of heat exhaustion such as a racing heart, palpitations, extreme thirst and excessive sweating,” Sampson said.

A major misconception people have is to use standing fans during times of extreme heat, he said.

“Those can be more harmful because they aren’t circulating any cool air,” he said. “They are actually blowing super heated air to your body which can make you get further exhausted.”

He recommends people visit cooling centers when temperatures are extremely high.