Living with air conditioning in a rental: a renter's guide

Most rentals in Melbourne's west have one of three set-ups: a wall-mounted split system in the living area, sometimes with more in the bedrooms; a ducted reverse-cycle system with ceiling outlets and a wall controller; or gas ducted heating with an evaporative cooler on the roof. Each is run differently, so it pays to know which you have.

Find the model number. On a split it is on a sticker on the side of the indoor unit; on a ducted system it is usually inside the controller cover or on the unit in the roof. Most makers put manuals online. Ask the agent for any manual left at the property and when the system was last serviced.

A reverse-cycle split or ducted system is a heat pump, so it heats as well as cools. Plenty of renters use the split only in summer and run portable heaters in winter. Reverse-cycle units move three to five units of heat for each unit of electricity they use, where a standard electric heater produces about one.

The Victorian Government suggests 18 to 20 °C for heating and 24 to 26 °C for cooling living areas, and says each degree beyond that adds around 10% to running costs. Setting 18 °C on a hot afternoon doesn't cool the room faster. It just keeps the unit running harder for longer.

Use auto or a moderate fan speed, angle the louvres up for cooling and down for heating, and close doors to rooms you aren't using. On a ducted system, shut the zones you don't need rather than closing individual outlets, which can upset the airflow the system was set up for.

Timers help more than most people expect. Starting the cooling before a hot northerly afternoon peaks, or warming the lounge half an hour before you get up on a July morning, is easier on the system and on the bill than starting from a very hot or very cold room.

The Victorian Government suggests cleaning the dust filters on a reverse-cycle air conditioner about twice a year, or more often with heavy use. On a split it takes a few minutes: switch the unit off, lift the front panel, slide out the mesh filters, vacuum and rinse them, let them dry in the shade and refit. Dirty filters significantly cut airflow and efficiency, so clean ones show up on your own power bill.

On a ducted system the filter sits behind the return-air grille, often in a hallway ceiling. If the grille is easy to reach from a stable step and the filter is washable, the job is similar. If it isn't, or the filter is a replaceable pad, ask the agent. If your lease says anything specific about air conditioner care, follow it, and if you're unsure whether something is your job, ask in writing first.

Don't take covers off, spray cleaning products into the unit, or climb onto the roof to look at an evaporative cooler. The coil, fan, drain and wiring sit behind the covers, and Energy Safe Victoria says electrical work isn't a DIY job, even for small jobs.

The switch on the wall beside the outdoor unit is an isolator. Air conditioners with a compressor need a lockable isolating switch next to the unit so a technician can work on it safely. Leave it on unless the agent or a technician asks you to switch it off.

Refrigerant is licensed work. Anyone who installs, services or maintains air conditioning equipment needs a Refrigerant Handling Licence, so a gas top-up is never a renter or handyman job. Ask the rental provider in writing before adding anything to the system, such as a Wi-Fi adapter.

Report anything that changes: water dripping from the indoor unit, ice on the pipes, a burning or musty smell that doesn't clear, a new rattle or grinding, the unit switching itself off, or a room that no longer reaches the set temperature. Small faults found early are simpler to fix, and the rental provider has time to organise it before the weather turns.

Put it in writing, by email or through the agent's portal, even if you've also phoned. Describe what you see and when it happens, and include the brand and model from the sticker, any error code on the display, and a short video if the noise is the problem. It helps the right technician arrive with the right parts.

Rental providers must do urgent repairs immediately and non-urgent repairs within 14 days of a written request, and they pay unless the renter caused the problem. Consumer Affairs Victoria's urgent repairs list includes a cooling appliance supplied by the rental provider that isn't working, and a failed heating appliance.

Laverton averages 27 days a year at or above 30 °C, mostly from December to February. Victoria's health department advises checking before extreme heat that your fan and air conditioner work and that filters and vents are clean. Run the cooling for half an hour on a mild spring day. If it struggles then, report it then.

On a hot day, close the blinds on sunny windows early, keep doors shut to the cooled rooms and leave the set point in the mid-20s. The health department advises using air conditioning or a fan during extreme heat, and says people with limited ways to keep cool are among those most at risk. If the system fails, plan where you could go, such as a friend's place or a cool public building.

From 1 March 2027, rental providers must install energy-efficient fixed cooling with an outlet in the main living area when a new rental agreement starts, and from 1 July 2030 all rentals must have cooling, whatever their lease status. One reverse-cycle air conditioner can meet both the heating and cooling standards.

If your rental has no fixed cooling now, ask the agent how the standard applies to your agreement. Until then, a plug-in fan and good blind habits go a long way on most summer days.