When it comes to cleaning heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, the landlord is not legally obliged to hand over the premises to him. So, if you think so, you might be wrong. There are no laws of this type that require homeowners to pay the cost of cleaning air ducts. Under the law, the landlord is only responsible for the guarantee of habitability.
And by this we mean that the landlord is obliged to ensure that the living environment is habitable before renting a house. To better understand the term, let's look at some of the services included in this section. Although cleaning the ducts of rental properties allows the removal of dust and dirt accumulated in the ducts, there is no concrete evidence to show that this removal has significant effects on the health of people living in the house. According to a study conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency that measured both the function of air conditioning and the dust levels in a house over a period of one week, cleaning the ducts did not make a significant difference in the amount of dust found on the furniture in the house or in the performance of the air conditioning system.
Since it's so important for a rental property's air conditioning system to produce clean, temperature-controlled air for tenants to feel comfortable, you may think that cleaning the ducts in rental properties is a necessary maintenance task you should perform as a landlord. Many HVAC companies that offer duct cleaning in rental properties insist that the process is beneficial to the health of tenants. So what's the end result? Duct cleaning in rental properties cannot be determined in any way to be dangerous or harmful, so you probably won't hear any of the major health organizations condemn this practice. Let's analyze some of the factors involved in cleaning air conditioning ducts and see if it's necessary.
Since duct cleaning is not considered necessary for a unit to be habitable and comfortable, this service is not included in the landlord's financial responsibility. However, it's important to note that the claims of HVAC companies regarding duct cleaning are largely unproven. In this case, the landlord holds the tenant responsible for the repairs and cleaning of the air ducts in his agreement. However, tenants who choose to pay for the cleaning of air ducts cannot request a reduction in rent after the end of the service, since cleaning the ducts is not considered a regular maintenance task.
After doing some research, I discovered that cleaning the air ducts is not very cheap and I am not willing to bear the expenses involved in cleaning the ducts of the previous owner. Duct maintenance is crucial, and if you don't use the right air duct cleaning equipment, your entire air conditioning system will wear out. However, claims that duct cleaning will result in notable improvements in the health of household members cannot be confirmed as true or reliable. In conclusion, it can be said that landlords are not legally obligated to pay for air duct cleaning services for their rental properties.
However, tenants may choose to pay for these services if they wish. It is important to note that there is no concrete evidence that suggests that air duct cleaning has any significant effect on health or comfort levels. Therefore, it is up to each individual tenant or landlord to decide whether or not they want to pay for these services.
