Landlord or Tenant: Who Pays for AC Service and Repairs?

Rental agreements in this region rarely mention the air conditioner beyond a line in the inventory. Then the compressor fails in May, and both parties discover they have different assumptions. Here is the split that most agreements settle into, and the wording that prevents the argument.

The default position that most agreements follow

If the AC was installed by the landlord and listed in the inventory, it is part of the premises. The landlord is responsible for keeping it in working order, and the tenant is responsible for using it normally and reporting faults.

If the tenant installed it, the tenant owns it and pays for everything, including removal at the end of the tenancy.

Consumable maintenance — the annual or twice-yearly clean — is the grey area, and it is the one that causes most disputes. The usual fair split: the tenant pays for routine cleaning, because it is a function of how they use the unit; the landlord pays for anything that is a failure of the equipment.

Who pays for what, item by item

Gas is the line that needs a sentence in the agreement, because "gas khatam" is used to bill tenants for a sealed system that should not lose refrigerant at all.

The clause to put in the agreement

One paragraph covers almost everything:

"The air conditioners listed in the inventory are the property of the landlord and shall be maintained in working order by the landlord, excluding routine cleaning which shall be carried out by the tenant at least once in twelve months. Refrigerant recharge shall be at the landlord’s cost where a leak is established by pressure test. The tenant shall report any fault in writing within seven days of noticing it."

Add the unit count, capacity and location to the inventory, and photograph each unit at handover. Ten minutes at signing prevents the entire conversation.

Photograph the handover

At move-in, photograph each indoor and outdoor unit, note the model and serial number, and record whether the unit is cooling on the day. At move-out, do the same.

Without that record, a compressor that fails in month eight becomes an argument about whether it was already weak when the tenant moved in. With it, the conversation is about a service history instead of an opinion.

When the tenant wants their own AC

Tenants often prefer to install their own unit rather than inherit an old one. That is reasonable, and it should be documented: the tenant owns the unit, pays for installation and removal, and restores the wall to its original condition at exit.

Two practical points. Confirm with the society that a new outdoor unit is permitted on the facade, because a "no" after installation is expensive. And agree in writing what happens to the old unit — storing it, reinstalling it, or disposing of it with the landlord’s consent.

What to do when the landlord refuses

Put the fault in writing, with a photograph, and state that you are reporting it under the maintenance clause. Give a reasonable window — a week is normal for a non-urgent fault.

If the AC fails in peak summer and the landlord does not act, most agreements allow the tenant to arrange the repair and deduct it from rent, provided it is documented and reasonable. That is a last resort and worth a written notice first. It is also the reason the agreement needs the maintenance clause in the first place.