Florida landlords are not required by law to fix and keep air condition working, extra costs for tenants

WEST PALM BEACH, FL — For the past three and a half weeks, Lys Joseph has started his day in West Palm Beach by propping open the front door to the apartment he rents there.

Joseph explained that it was done so that the house would have a more constant flow of air through it.

The fan in his living room is usually running. On the other hand, the air conditioning unit is not moving.

Joseph claimed that it is broken, and the maintenance staff at the apartment complex are unable to fix it.

“They tell me that they can’t find a piece that they need to place in the AC,” stated the security guard. “They tell me that they can’t find it anywhere.” They claim that it is everywhere but they can’t find it.

He is concerned that the warm flat poses a risk to his family’s health, particularly to his granddaughter, who is just six months old.

Joseph explained that this is the reason why it is important that they understand how severe the situation is. They are obligated to take some action.

Contact 5 has inquired about the reason why it is taking so much longer to assist Joseph’s family at the Palms West Apartment complex. Employees in the office would not comment.

However, there is no requirement for the complex to fix the malfunctioning air conditioning machine.

Air conditioning is not required to be provided by landlords in Florida, nor are they obligated to maintain it.

State Representative Michael Grieco stated, “I had somebody from my staff bring it up a couple of years ago, and I almost fell out of my chair.” [Case in point:] “I almost fell out of my chair.” “It does not matter if you believe in climate change or not; it is really hot. It’s located in Florida.”

He proposed a law that would require landlords to include air conditioning as an integral element of the typical lease agreement.

The bill was not passed out of committee.

According to Grieco, “There is always some organized resistance since it puts a lot of pressure on residential complexes and other such things.”

Joseph, who had gone to court to request that his rent payments be made into an escrow account, was quoted as saying, “As a human, you rent somewhere to live better.”

If the judge decides in his favor, the money for the rent will remain in escrow until either the dispute is settled to the court’s liking or the court decides whether the money should be given to the landlord or the tenant. This will happen whichever comes first.

Grieco is not running for re-election this year, but he is keeping his fingers crossed that somebody will push making air conditioning necessary during the next legislative session in Florida.

Before signing their leases, tenants are advised by attorneys who specialize in landlord-tenant law to inquire about adding air conditioning maintenance to their contracts.

The state of Florida does not compel landlords to furnish or maintain air conditioning in rental properties; nonetheless, the following are among the items that landlords are required to offer by law:

electricity
flowing water
secure roofs, doors, and windows
smoke detectors
removing of garbage
heat