When I bought my park, it had about 40 rental units. We are slowly converting them to NNN/Option, but we still have quite a few that are straight rentals. We also added a few lonnie deals along the way. One problem we have run into is very high Heating/Air repair bills.
We are just now starting to institute a proactive approach to replace all air filters on rentals on a quarterly basis. It’s too early to tell what different it will have, but it’s a small investment to make.
Park owners out there, how do you curb your Heating/Air repair costs? Do you have your own maintenance program or do you subcontract it out? What are the must dos? If you have a company to do regular maintenance on your units, what is the cost/unit and what do you have them do?
As an HVAC contractor, let me give my .02 cents worth. There are some handy men (maintenance guys) that can handle this type of problem. The most important thing for any HVAC system is keeping the coils clean. Your comments about keeping the filters changed regulary is the most important issue that gets overlooked. This is just as important as keeping the oil/air filters clean in your car. I would suggest finding a contractor that will come out and service all units initially. Make sure the service includes cleaning the coils on the air handler (inside unit or under home) and the condenser (outside unit). They should also check your freon levels. Dirty coils are the most common cause of “down the road” issues on an HVAC system. At this point you can turn the changing of filters over to your own maintenance guys. Spend a little extra on the pleated filters (approx $3.00 each) or go on to the high end route. Also, you may want to have the ducts inspected (both hard ductwork and flex ductwork) for missing insulation and/or holes. Animals will tear up the duct work, especially in winter, which can get more dirt in the system or at least make it operate inefficiently making the power bills go through the roof. Hope this helps.
rent without a used filter every month. He uses a marking pen and signs and dates filter and gets it back dirty in 30 days. We explain we are saving them dollars on electricity…works for us!
This is the single most important thing you can do to increase life of unit. We service units every Feb and they cost 35-55 per unit for coil cleaning, freon, check up. we do all 56 units in the same month…huge hit, but A/c’s are very expensive to replace.
Hi Vickie, high HVAC repair costs are definitely a common challenge for parks with rental units. Many owners find that instituting a proactive maintenance program makes a big difference. Changing air filters quarterly, as you’re starting to do, is a simple but effective step. Beyond that, some owners perform seasonal inspections themselves or with on-site staff. Checking units for leaks, cleaning coils, and ensuring proper airflow, while others contract a local HVAC company for preventive maintenance. Typical services include cleaning, checking refrigerant levels, inspecting ductwork, and testing safety features. Costs vary, but a common range is around $100–$200 per unit per year for basic preventive service. Some owners combine approaches: smaller repairs and filter changes are handled in-house, while major inspections and seasonal servicing are subcontracted. The key is consistency. Regular upkeep often prevents the expensive emergency repairs that really drive costs up.
That is definitely a smart move. Regular filter changes are one of the simplest ways to prevent blower motors from burning out prematurely. In my experience, staying on top of the small maintenance items like that is much cheaper than dealing with emergency calls in the middle of summer.