5 Tips for Keeping Your Florida Rental Property’s Air Conditioning Running Smoothly Year Round

Welcome to the hottest, most humid place on planet earth, aka (Florida.) If you own a rental property in the state of Florida, you know that air conditioning upkeep and rental property maintenance is typically the most common, expensive, and frequent request from your tenant.

As air conditioners continue to run non-stop, the efficiency of the units drops tremendously. In Florida, you must be proactive to keep your system up and running.

This article will provide five simple tips for rental owners and renters looking for insightful guidance for saving money and keeping your Air Conditioner running all year.

It’s Hot Outside, Keep Your Rental Home Cool.

1. Leave the Thermostat at a Specific Temperature

The biggest helpful tip is to leave the thermostat at a specific temperature. If no one is home during the day, leaving your A/C at a particular temperature can help your air conditioner and save you money on your energy bill

Leaving it at or around 78 degrees when no one is home is the best practice. The air conditioner is only going to be able to achieve 20 degrees less than it is outside. For example: if it’s 98 degrees during the day, having it set at 78 degrees will be the most attainable for the unit. Putting it at a lower temperature is not going to make it any faster. Regardless, it will always cool at the same rate, no matter what. 

2. Keep the Blinds and Curtains Closed During the Day

Natural light is fantastic, but it can also help reduce your energy bill by keeping the blinds or curtains closed during the day to help with the heat. When you have many windows that the sun is directly hitting and aren’t closed, that allows the sun’s direct light to come in and makes that air conditioner work much harder. 

3. Clean Filters Once a Month

Did you know that cleaning your air filter once a month can reduce your energy usage? The dirt and debris tracked into your home will cause the airflow in your home to be obstructed. Taking the time to clean the filter once a month also saves you from causing issues with your air conditioning unit in the long run. Friendly tip, when replacing your air filter, place a reminder on your phone or calendar to ensure you are replacing it each month.

As a professional property management company, included in our services are filters that get delivered to our managed rental properties every quarter. We’ve found this helps remind our tenants that air filters need to be changed.

Routine Air Conditioning Maintenance is a must here in Florida.

4. Inspect the Exterior of the Rental Home

If there is debris, tall grass, or any weeds around your unit, it will not allow for the air conditioner to properly suck in the air that it needs to control the temperature on your property. For it to be the most efficient, check twice a month to make sure it’s kept clean around the pad of the unit so that it won’t interfere with the functionality of your unit.

On a side note: if you are in the process of purchasing a rental property in Florida, you’ll want to have your realtor look at the age of the air conditioning system. Also, you can always ask your property manager to take a look at the exterior of the rental home to ensure it is well cared for and in good condition.

5. Use the Ceiling Fans

With the summer heat we experience here in Florida, running those ceiling fans allows you to have that extra airflow that can make it feel around 2 degrees cooler. Primarily since the fans use far less energy than the unit will use to operate. 

Ceiling fan(s) will move the cool air around in your home, allowing the air conditioner not to have to work as hard. If you rotate the blades in the clockwise direction, it will let the airflow go downward, which will not allow the hot air to rise, making it think the A/C unit needs to kick on.

With the help of a Property Management Company, your Florida investment property rise above the heat.

A Property Managers Summary

Rental property owners and tenants in Florida can benefit from these simple and cost-effective saving strategies for their rental homes. Whether you implement one of these tips or all, your energy bills and air conditioner will thank you.
As one of the trusted and highest-rated Orlando property management companies, we enjoy connecting and educating rental property owners and tenants. If you have any questions or are currently looking to hire a property management company, contact us today, we’d love to connect.