Aircon Servicing for Landlords vs Tenants in Singapore: Who Pays for What?

If a lease or a tenancy agreement between a renter and a landlord in Singapore includes an aircon, there are two types of aircon services; major and minor.

The renter usually takes care of minor or general aircon servicing while the landlord handles major repairs and replacement due to general wear and tear. However, there is no law fixing this division.

The lease document is binding in this matter of who will handle the maintenance and payment of an aircon unit and what happens if someone tries to deviate. If the lease document says something different from the generally accepted way here, that is the law.

In most Singapore tenancy agreements, you can find three provisions related to aircon. The first provision is an ongoing servicing clause stating that the tenant should carry out cleaning and repair service on aircon every fixed period (generally, once per 3 months), and retain receipts for that as proof. The second is a minor repair clause, where tenant can cover small repair expenses up certain amount and beyond that limit the responsibility is on the landlord unless the damage was the tenant's fault. The third provision concerns the condition of the handed-over aircon at the end of the tenant's lease time, it should not be too different from the condition that was noted on move-in allowing reasonable wear and tear.

If any of these items is not covered in your agreement, or is left very vague, you should agree with each other, put in writing before lease time commencement a detailed arrangement of each party's responsibilities regarding aircon: who is in charge of maintaining, gas refilling and repairing, etc. A simple email with such confirmation can definitely save you weeks of disputes with the other party.

What is the Cost of Servicing Airconditioner in Singapore?

The prices are dependent on several factors including number of aircon units, type of system (e.g. wallmounted, ceiling cassette), size of the machine, kind of operation etc. It is really helpful to understand the levels in the list of aircon servicing than to try to remember a fixed price. The most straightforward and the cheapest one is regular maintenance servicing which is generally priced per single unit. Chemical wash is the next in line because it takes more time and cleaning is deeper. Chemical overhaul and gas top-up services cost more than those. A compressor replacement or PCB replacement is the priciest one which especially for vintage machines can get extremely close to the price of a new AC.

For exact quotation on the price and all the details on the breakdown of the bill, you just need to talk to different service providers or contractors and get your written quotes. By that way you can easily negotiate and reach an agreement on the total price which can be acceptable for both landlord and tenant at the same time.

Wear and Tear vs. Tenant Negligence

The main disagreements between tenants and landlords most often come from this area of the lease agreement, nevertheless the concept is quite simple. Wear and tear are components getting broken down and degraded in function with the usage time passing away. When the compressor of a 10-year-old unit breaks down is the typical kind of such case, usually the cost will be on the landlord's shoulder. On the other hand Negligence or misuse is a sort of damage that has resulted from the neglect, like not changing the aircon filters, disregard a little water leak, or a blocked drain that let the water get over the ceiling and made it a mess. In these cases the liability might fall upon the tenant.

Having evidence and showing the record of service will be best in such a situation. If a tenant can prove that he/she has kept the aircon regularly and maintained it as per the manufacturer's or a contractor's advice by providing service invoices then this would be a very strong defense to show that a breakdown of appliance is not the result of neglect on tenant's part. Similarly, if the landlord is able to produce a copy of the aircon servicing before handing it over to the tenant, it would serve as clear evidence that the unit was in a good condition at the start of the tenancy agreement.

Guidelines for Renters

For the protection from any potential loss of rental property, it is important that renters keep very good documentary proof. Get regular aircon service done at every required time interval and make sure that you get copies or originals of invoices or other service records. When you first move-in to the rental property take photos and videos of the airconditioner and note down the condition of aircon that was faulty then if any tenant is held accountable for that problem later that is unjust. As soon as any trouble starts to appear, inform in a written message or a social messaging app that is not time-sensitive like email or Whatsapp. That way you can establish a documented proof on when the issue happened.

Likewise, small things can be done to your advantage. Just cleaning the filters once a month is quite simple, costs nothing and keeps many repairs at bay. Do not go for expensive repairs before getting permission from the landlord, except if it is a real emergency. Moreover, pick a reliable aircon company that gives detailed quotations and the correct repair report since you will need those documents at a later stage.

Tips for Landlords

Before a tenancy starts, landlords can prevent most of the troubles by taking the initiative. Check and service the aircon at the landlord's cost and hand the report over to the tenant. It is a good idea to list the age and condition of each unit in the inventory list and write the tenant's share and the landlord's share on the tenancy agreement clearly including who will bear the cost of gas top-ups and leaks.

Respond promptly to large problems during the tenancy period. Delaying could mean that the tenant in tropical Singapore is left without aircon cooling at a very high price and the landlord-tenant relationship is affected. Besides, think ahead: units that are around 8 to 12 years of age are often expensive to keep repairing, so replacing them by making a budget can be cheaper in the long run compared to multiple repairs.

Common Aircon Problems and Who Usually Pays

Weak cooling may be caused by blocked filters or an empty refrigerant tank. Typically, the tenant will be the one to pay for such problems if the regular servicing was not up done, and if the landlord discovers there was a leak in the refrigerant, he/ she/ they will shoulder the expense in any case.

Water dripping down from the indoor unit is usually due to a clogged up drain pipe and that is one of the regular maintenance things that service should sort out and prevent. A tenant is likely to be a clogger who has come off the neglect and therefore a fault caused by poor installation of the equipment is the result of the landlord's problem.

Weird noises or a silent fan and motor, for example, could be from a broken fan motor, capacitor, compressor or even PCB. Should the unit be otherwise well-maintained, the landlord is most typically the person who will pay for these sorts of repair work.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Prevent Aircon Disputes

It is more a question of expectations than of airconditioning itself. It's a good idea to get in writing the number of times per year (or season) the aircon must be serviced at the very least. Also agree on who handles minor repair incidents and under what conditions, and the maximum amount (if any) that you are both prepared to pay for these repairs. Additionally, clarify who has to deal with the gas top-ups when required, and who will pay for a new set if both the units are leaking and have to be replaced. If the agreement covers more than one unit and you want to find out their respective ages for maintenance or replacement purposes, it's a good idea to get all those details clear in the contract as well.

Seek Assistance with Aircon Servicing

From the moment you are a landlord ready to handover the property up until the day the tenant moves out, it helps you and the other party a lot if you are open and transparent about any service issues you might have. Our website can provide you with general aircon service, chemical wash, gas recharge and repairs. Just let us know and you'll also get the itemized quotation and the service report which can be kept in the tenancy record as a proof.

In general, landlords are expected to take care of air conditioning unit replacements and any major repairs needed, whereas regular servicing of a unit is carried out by tenants. Naturally, it's always the tenancy agreement that will be the main factor in such matters. The trick to getting along well with your landlord or tenant through the air con is to set out a clear list of expectations up front and then to keep a written record of all the agreements made and actions taken afterwards. With these points addressed, the vast amount of aircon disputes can be avoided completely.

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