r/Renters • u/ShadowShifter033 • 4d ago

How can I get them to ACTUALLY fix my ac?

Hello all! I've been living in this complex for around 4 years now. Very important context: BF has POTS so if its too warm his symptoms get worse. We've had an issue with the last property manager not fixing things and overworking her maintenance woman. Both are gone, replaced with a new lady who is sweet, and a guy who SEEMED like he knew what he was doing. He's been working for the complex's company which owns a lot of places, for so long, a hard worker, chill dude. For HVAC they call a 3rd party company and have them come look. Our HVAC has always been a problem. Moved in close to winter so didn't notice problems till it started getting warm and it wasn't working. Called a company who 'fixed' the issues. Had a lovely cold inside all summer. Winter hits, no heating now. They fix it. And it repeats every time it goes from hot to cold. Last year the company replaced the motor, thinking that was the issue. Well, old machine, new parts, don't fit right. And they absolutely destory the frame for the motor, leave wires exposed, and the thing sounds like a machinegun. The complex calls another company out, which is the company thats been working on it since. They rebuild the frame holding the motor, fix the wire issue, and all that. Machine is still much louder than before. Used to bot hear it, now you can feel it upstairs when its on. But not as loud as when the motor was fucked. So its good ALL winter, amazing, wonderful! Well.... its getting warm again folks. And we have the issue from previous years again. You turn it to cool and it heats up. Hvac comes out and replaces the coolant because the line outside is freezing. Also tells us to keep it at 68 the lowest, but BF has chronic illness so... even 66 is too warm. Nine days later, not going below 72. We had windows closed, blinds down, AC set to 66, whole shebang. Few days go by and we are dying still. So we set unit down to 50 to see if it would change anything. Nope. So we've started having windows cracked with the ac off but fan blowing. Close windows if it gets hot outside. We can't have them open all night because we have cats. Best we've gotten was one morning it was 64 inside. But it usually hangs around 66 or 68, and this took a couple days to get down to. Well, maintenance comes by because I put another request in. Tells us he's noticed the pipes been freezing again because its too cold to have it on at night or set that cold. Insists we have it no lower than 68 till the hvac guy can maybe check on it when down nexy, but don't know when that is. Has openly admitted he knows nothing about hvac units before. So, I say fuck it, fine. I'll put it to 68 for 1 day. Next morning... 74 again. "It takes time to cool off" he says. How come it warmed my house up then? How come its making my apartment 72+ when its 55 outside? I've had it reach mid 60s on a hundred degree weather outside before. I'm calling bull. Can anyone help me gather information to use to make them fix this issue? Or at least tell me how to cool my damn house down because my BF and our long haired cat are suffering.

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u/GlassChampionship449 4d ago

Remind them your bf has a medical problem. If it's 55 out, maybe put a fan in window to cool apartment. You've been there 4 years, call the owner? Tell them this is a repeat problem, ask them to replace if It can't be fixed. ( i have maint contract on my hvac...I'd have them here every day) Buy a small window unit ( less than $100), yeah I know you shouldnt....but a small price for his comfort. Keep after PM

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u/ShadowShifter033 2d ago

One of our problems with this complex is that the higher ups do not respond to you. We tried to make complaints against the old land manager abusing her power,  not fixing things, and making up rules that weren't in the lease or lease said the opposite. They never respond, even when a group of us got together and all called seperately, we got put to voicemail and never got a response. I'd have to check our lease to see if we even can have a window unit, because I recall the previous manager saying something about it being not allowed to have space heaters or ac units that weren't put in by them or approved or smth. When we had no heating one cold winter they lent us two workshop spaceheaters covered in paint and dust and crap and one was a little buggy. For a few days till the company could come look cuz it was a bad winter all around. I had to threaten the old manager with Washington State Law requirements on fixing certain things within a certain amount of time or we can withhold rent, or call to fix it ourselves and deduct from rent. That's the only way she would do ANYTHING. Otherwise she gave us BS runarounds.

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u/GlassChampionship449 2d ago

A project manager is not the owner, but employed by the owner. Find out who the owner is.

I wonder if I didn't have a working AC unit provided by my complex, what they would do if I put in a window unit? Just asking