Texas renter says air conditioning has been on the fritz for nearly two months

A Pflugerville man said he’s been sweating it out for far too long in his rental home while he struggles to convince management there’s a problem with his air conditioning.

PFLUGERVILLE, TX (KXAN) – Daniel Bowers is having trouble keeping his shorts up.

“They fall down,” he said as he pulled at their waist. “If I try to hold them at my waist, I’ve got that much extra.”

“I’m estimating I’ve lost 15 pounds” he added.

But the software account executive is not celebrating his weight loss because he’s not trying to lose weight.

“It was very much an involuntary weight loss program,” Bowers said.

Bowers, who was recently diagnosed with heat exhaustion, said he’s suffering physically and mentally.

“I haven’t had much of an appetite because my house has been 85 degrees for a month,” he said.

According to Bowers, the air conditioning in the Pflugerville home he rents hasn’t worked properly since his records show he first reported the issue to his management company on May 29.  

On the morning KXAN Investigator Mike Rush visited, the thermostat on his second floor was set at 76 degrees but the temperature reading was 81 degrees.

“I’ve logged four plus tickets,” Bowers said, referring to how many times he’s notified his management company. “I have communicated with the property management more times than I can remember.”

Bowers’ email chain with his property manager shows how management did send a technician to look at the AC, who determined it was in working order.

Still, the temperature, he said, continued to rise inside his home. “Towards midnight or so, this is typically around 85 to 87.”

Bowers eventually broke down and bought a portable AC unit for $600. He said his property manager sent him a small, desk fan, the type that can be found on Amazon for about $10.

With calls, emails and even a visit to the office, KXAN Investigator Mike Rush repeatedly attempted to reach the owner and management company for nearly two weeks, but he never heard back. 

In those emails with Bowers, the property manager wrote the technician they used who found no problem with the AC is an experienced HVAC-certified technician. She also suggested the AC may not be keeping up because of the extreme heat or even, she wrote, because of heat generated from electronics, like a computer and monitors, in Bowers’ home office.

So, Bowers hired his own HVAC technician.

“It’s either low on refrigerant or the metering device is bad that allows the refrigerant to go into the house,” technician Carl Heidolph said after inspecting the system.

Simply put, “It’s not working right at all, and it was very quick and easy to see,” Heidolph said.

In Texas, landlords are not required to provide air conditioning to tenants, but Dallas has a city ordinance mandating AC. So does Houston under certain circumstances. Austin does not have that ordinance and neither does Pflugerville where Bowers lives.

Even so, while the KXAN Investigates team was at Bowers’ home, a Pflugerville code inspector showed up after Bowers complained to the city.

The inspector determined the AC was not working properly and issued a code violation, citing an industry code that states if the residence does have AC, management has to maintain it.

The inspector told Rush that management told him it’s working on a repair, which Bowers said can’t come soon enough.

“I’ve tried to be flexible with them and I’ve tried to work with them and adjust my expectations, but it’s just too much,” he said.

After the violation notice from the city, Bowers said the management company sent out another technician to look at the AC. Bowers said after the technician recharged the refrigerant in the system, the AC was cooling the house properly, but he's skeptical it will last because he says they've done that before.

According to the Texas State Law Library, if you’re a renter with air conditioning issues, check your lease to see if AC is mentioned and, if so, who is responsible for making repairs.

Also, if your landlord is not responding to your request for a repair, you can contact your city’s code enforcement department, because if air conditioning is provided, the city may require the landlord to make sure it’s in working order, as was the case with Bowers.