questions & answers

Question: This is an odd question for Arizona, but in the summer my landlord keeps the thermostat locked when he is in town. He is a rather large man, and keeps the A/C at 69 during the summer. Myself and my roommate nearly have to wear winter garments to be comfortable. Not only is this a waste of electricity, but it is extremely uncomfortable for his tenants. Is there anything I can do about this? Legally.

Answer: You need to negotiate that in your lease. If your lease currently does not address this, then you have two options: 1) simply talk to landlord to see if he would agree on a temperature for the thermostat. If you reach an agreement get it in writing or the agreement will not be enforceable. If landlord will not agree you're stuck unless the landlord setting the AC low negatively affects a tenant's health. You'll need a doctor's letter to support this and then you can send a 5 or 10 day letter demanding that landlord correct problem or you will terminate lease. Hope this helps!