Air-conditioning in rental accomodations

[opebo]

Please presume for the sake of the poll we are talking about in areas with serious hot seasons, such as much of the US outside the Northwest and the far Northeast.

[John Dibble]

No, but given that pretty much every apartment complex does these days you'd have to be stupid not to.

[AndrewTX]

Eh, they really shouldn't have to, as long as they provided an area where you could put a unit into a window. Either way, most will already provide it, since people dont want to rent one without the option.

[Hatman 🍁]

You should provide heat in the winter, you should provide AC in the summer.  And, with climate change upon us, it's only going to get worse in the future.

[opebo]

This is obviously only an issue in slums, but there are significant numbers of people living in poverty in the South and Midwest who actually do not have air-conditioning, apparently.

[minionofmidas]

They should provide solid walls.

[minionofmidas]

The only places I could find census data on the question on are Guam, the North Marianas and American Samoa, 2000.

AC exists in about 5 out of every 6 units in Guam and 2 out of 3 in the North Marianas, but only 20% in American Samoa. It figures - much the more traditional country, and thus presumably far fewer American style housing.

[memphis]

It's as much a neccesity where I live as electricity and running water. Unfortunately, the crack heads will destroy the units to get the copper wiring to sell for scrap. Ought to be very severe punishment for destroying an air-conditioner

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

No.  People did manage to live in the South before AC, so it isn't a genuine necessity, and a renter could always choose to add their own window unit for less than the cost of one month's rent.  There's no need to regulate the issue considering how much less rent the owner would likely collect from a unit without AC.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

No, but given that pretty much every apartment complex does these days you'd have to be stupid not to.

[memphis]

No.  People did manage to live in the South before AC, so it isn't a genuine necessity, and a renter could always choose to add their own window unit for less than the cost of one month's rent.  There's no need to regulate the issue considering how much less rent the owner would likely collect from a unit without AC.

People lived for a very long time before gas, running water and electricity too.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I actually don't have air conditioning in my apartment (well the hallways do, but not the rooms.)

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

No.  People did manage to live in the South before AC, so it isn't a genuine necessity, and a renter could always choose to add their own window unit for less than the cost of one month's rent.  There's no need to regulate the issue considering how much less rent the owner would likely collect from a unit without AC.

People lived for a very long time before gas, running water and electricity too.

And you think a rentee would have much success renting out a place that didn't have plumbing or wiring?  Sometimes the market is able to take care of things without any government regulation.  The provision of AC units in rental property is one of those things.

[opebo]

Sometimes the market is able to take care of things without any government regulation.  The provision of AC units in rental property is one of those things.

You're totally ignoring the problem, buddy - the poor can't pay, so of course 'the market' gives them either no housing at all, or housing with no A/C.  And then they die of dehydration.  The market is a killer.

[solarstorm]

There's an orthographic mistake in the title.

[patrick1]

I actually don't have air conditioning in my apartment (well the hallways do, but not the rooms.)

In the rental apartment/house I grew up in we never had it either.  We didn't get our first wall AC unit until I was in High School.  I remember sleeping with a box fan or oscillating one like 3 inches from my head on particularly brutal days. However, once you get AC it is really tough to step back.  I have central air and a wall unit right now and could not imaging going back to living without AC. 

[opebo]

I actually don't have air conditioning in my apartment (well the hallways do, but not the rooms.)

What kind of backwards system is that?  You'd be better off living in the hallway.

[memphis]

I actually don't have air conditioning in my apartment (well the hallways do, but not the rooms.)

In the rental apartment/house I grew up in we never had it either.  We didn't get our first wall AC unit until I was in High School.  I remember sleeping with a box fan or oscillating one like 3 inches from my head on particularly brutal days. However, once you get AC it is really tough to step back.  I have central air and a wall unit right now and could not imaging going back to living without AC. 

Are you a poor? My dad's wife #2 grew up in Appalachia without indoor plumbing. [inks]ing crazy!

[minionofmidas]

If there's enough unsealed open space around, that's not all that much of a problem. -_-