{"id":234774,"date":"2026-07-03T15:11:07","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T15:11:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/234774\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T15:11:07","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T15:11:07","slug":"renters-have-limited-rights-when-it-comes-to-broken-air-conditioning-heres-what-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/234774\/","title":{"rendered":"Renters have limited rights when it comes to broken air conditioning. Here’s what to know."},"content":{"rendered":"

As a dangerous stretch of summer heat settles over the Philadelphia region<\/a>, some renters are finding themselves without a working air conditioner.<\/p>\n

While some people assume landlords are required to provide air conditioning, the law is not nearly as clear-cut as it is for heat in the winter.<\/p>\n

In Pennsylvania and Philadelphia, landlords are generally required to provide heat during cold weather. Air conditioning, however, is not automatically guaranteed under state law or city code.<\/p>\n

That can leave tenants with fewer options when temperatures soar.<\/p>\n

“You really only have the right to an A\/C unit if it’s written in your lease, if your unit comes with it, if your landlord agrees to provide it,” said Jax Hebner, a member of the\u00a0Philadelphia Tenants Union<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Check your lease first<\/p>\n

Tenant advocates say the first step is reviewing your lease.<\/p>\n

If air conditioning is listed as an amenity or included as part of the rental agreement, the landlord is generally responsible for maintaining it.<\/p>\n

Still, a broken air conditioner is often treated differently than the loss of heat, water or other essential services.<\/p>\n

“Cooling is kind of seen more as a comfort than a necessity for health and safety, like heat is in the winter,” Hebner said.<\/p>\n

Because cooling is not typically considered a habitability requirement under current law, tenants may have fewer legal remedies available when repairs are delayed.<\/p>\n

Extreme heat can turn deadly<\/p>\n

The issue gained renewed attention in Philadelphia following a tragedy during a record-breaking heat wave in May.<\/p>\n

A woman in her 80s\u00a0died from environmental hyperthermia inside the Park Terrace Apartments in Holmesburg<\/a>\u00a0after residents spent days raising concerns about a building-wide air conditioning outage. Tenants\u00a0told CBS News Philadelphia<\/a>\u00a0temperatures inside some apartments approached 100 degrees before repairs were made.<\/p>\n

The death prompted renewed questions about whether cooling should be treated more like a necessity as extreme heat becomes more common.<\/p>\n

What renters should do if their A\/C stops working<\/p>\n

Hebner recommends tenants notify their landlord in writing as soon as possible and keep records of all communications.<\/p>\n

It’s also important to document conditions inside the unit, including indoor temperatures when possible.<\/p>\n

“Having a thermometer helps. Anything that can really help you generate evidence,” Hebner said. “I generally recommend to document everything, like even if you think it’s excessive.”<\/p>\n

Hebner said some tenants may consider making repairs themselves and seeking reimbursement, but urged caution.<\/p>\n

“You do have to be really practical and smart about how you go about doing that, making sure that you keep costs low,” Hebner said.<\/p>\n

One thing tenants should avoid<\/p>\n

Advocates say renters should think carefully before withholding rent over a broken air conditioner.<\/p>\n

Unlike cases involving a lack of heat or other habitability issues, tenants may have less legal protection when withholding rent over cooling-related disputes, according to Hebner. Doing so could expose renters to claims they violated their lease and potentially put them at risk of eviction.<\/p>\n

Anyone considering withholding rent should first consult an attorney or a tenant advocacy organization.<\/p>\n

How to help<\/p>\n

For those interested in helping vulnerable residents during extreme heat, Hebner pointed to groups including\u00a0Community Action Relief Project<\/a>,\u00a0The SOL Collective<\/a>\u00a0and Food Not Bombs<\/a>, which often seek donations and volunteers during heat emergencies.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Water, sports drinks and other hydration supplies are especially needed during prolonged heat waves.<\/p>\n

Looking for help with a consumer issue?\u00a0Click here\u00a0<\/a>to submit your complaint to In Your Corner.<\/p>\n

\n More from CBS News\n <\/p>\n

In:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As a dangerous stretch of summer heat settles over the Philadelphia region, some renters are finding themselves without…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":234775,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[23054,69,71,70],"class_list":["post-234774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-philadelphia","tag-consumer-news","tag-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia-headlines","tag-philadelphia-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=234774"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234774\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/234775"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=234774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=234774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=234774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}