Here's the story - the tenants reported that the ducted AC leaked like a **** and requested a technician to visit site. Approved. Then no faults found but the tech gave it a bit of a service anyway. Since there's no fault, I don't really want to pay for it but ditto for the tenants. Their argument is the AC haven't been serviced for 12 months. Are there any rules/laws etc stating the AC has to be serviced every 12 months? Should I pay up (it's only $185) and to put it into context, I have no intention to keep the tenants there beyond next year.
so what happened to the original story of leaking like a ****? If that was a real problem and was fixed in the 'bit of service', then I would pay up. Else, I wouldn't.
No faults found and the tech couldn't explain what caused it either. It so-called faults seem to have stopped as well, coincidently right after the tech did something.
If it leaked then I assume water ran down the indoor unit. So it either iced up from a gas issue or the condensate drain is/was blocked
Air con should be serviced regularly. Although another unwanted maintenance bill, it will help prevent future problems.
Do you self manage? Need to put something in place to discourage tenants from calling people in themselves.
Nah managed by a PM. That's another story in itself - I have 4 different PM's assigned in about 20 months. Now I've been assigned a newbie and this issue wouldn't have cropped up if she wasn't trying to be smart or to impress. All she has to do is give me the bill, don't mention the backstory about how she went about trying to make the tenants to pay for it and like wylie was saying, someone did something, somewhere and no more leaking AC. Then it didn't help the agent owner's daughter in law slipped up and said we've been assigned a relatively fresh PM. Took this opportunity to negotiate on the rate. Good result
Tenants pay when it's clear they have caused it. Blocked toilet and plumber reports that it was due to too much toilet paper flushed down, not tree roots etc... Tenant paid plumbing invoice. In another case tenant reported that walk in robe shelf fell down and damaged the wall where it was ripped out from - this was not a matter of screws being loose it was suspicious of being over loaded. Tenant paid. Towel rails broken with the plaster missing at joins and bricks underneath exposed - again overloading - tenant pays. If tenant challenges the invoice, tribunals look for evidence, it needs to be clear that they have caused it. Tenant notices leaking, reports it (like they are obligated to do by law), turns out to be nothing, ac gets serviced anyway - no breach by tenant and difficult to argue this one in favour of landlord.
We have noted in our PM management agreements the request that all contractor invoices must detail the fault. Helps with this situations.
Split AC units technically don't need a service unless they aren't working in which case its either pipe work (gas leak / dump gas) or mechanical (compressor) / electrical (failed board etc). They do produce a lot of water in the head unit and that water must be drained or it will leak and spit water and increase humidity inside. Its a common issue and NOT a fault but a drain issue the tenant should be responsible for. Many split units develop algae blockages. The unpleasant way to fix this is to get outside and suck after the unit has been run (cold) on a warm day. You may need to attach garden hose or similar....Do not blow unless you want the inside of your house and the unit to blow scum around. Like siphoning petrol you better have fast reactions !! Cleaning filters in the tenants job as is the drain clearing. Some head units have limited access to the drain allowing bleach etc to be flushed into the drain. You don't want bleach on the fins.
Why would the tenant be responsible for a drainage issue? We have ducted and also have some splits. The splits have a drainage pipe that I know about and understand needs to be directed away from the footings, but I've never heard of having to clear the drain. Must ask our air-con guy if we need to be doing this. And the OP says it is a ducted system. I know our own ducted system has leaked from inside the ceiling before and we've had to pay to have it fixed.
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