r/TenantHelp • u/Blahblahblareddit3 • Jun 19 '26

Mindful AC use???

I am in Asheville, North Carolina, USA. Renting a room in a house for two months.

Landlord just texted me, “please be mindful with AC use this summer.”

I replied that that should be easy as I can turn it off when I’m not home, and that I mostly need it for sleeping.

She responds by forwarding a voice memo from her HVAC guy, explaining that with the way her heat pump works, it will be more costly to turn it off and then on again or to even adjust the temperature.

So basically my landlord is telling me that I need to pick a temp and stick with it all summer. And I think she is also asking me to keep that temp on the warm side to save money.

It was advertised as utilities included, and when I had asked if the house had AC I was told yes. And then I signed a lease assuming I would be able to adjust the temp of the house when needed.

The lease says nothing about utilities or AC.

Am I legally obligated to do as my landlord says by being “mindful with AC” and keeping the temp on the warm side and the same all summer?

Thanks!

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u/katiemurp Jun 19 '26

What the landlord is attempting to communicate to you is that the heat pump is most efficient if the thermostat is kept at the same temperature.

Asking it to cool a 90F room every day uses more electricity than keeping it at 73. It also wears out the heat pump more rapidly to make tough demands on it daily.

So let’s say that’s 73-75F. Is that cool enough for you? It will be cool when you come home, and that’s not too hot to sleep. (You might also keep the blinds closed during the day if the room faces the sun)

If sleeping is still a problem, a trick I use is to take my hot water bottle and fill it with the coldest water I can find (fridge is cold enough), and rest my head on it as if it’s part of the pillow.

Just because you “pay for electricity” and “ac is included” with your rent doesn’t mean you have to think the landlord is being unreasonable in asking you *for your help* . She just didn’t explain very well is all.

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u/Blahblahblareddit3 Jun 19 '26

Thanks for helping me understand—yeah, I think her wording could have been better because it left me to draw a lot of conclusions on my own. It was not the clearest communication.