Air Conditioning Checks for a Texas Apartment Tour
Published by Apartments Texas · Updated
Texas summers make AC the system you cannot compromise on. How to test it during the tour, not after move-in.
Use the questions below for the exact unit and dates you are considering, and record any point management has not confirmed.
Did you run the system during the tour?
Turn the AC on and let it run while you walk the unit. Check that air flows from vents in every room, not just the living room, and listen for rattling, grinding, or short cycling.
Note the thermostat's type and location, and ask how long the unit typically takes to cool down, since a slow recovery is worth knowing about before summer.
What should you ask about the equipment?
Ask how old the system is, when it was last serviced or replaced, and how often filters are changed and by whom.
Ask the leasing office or a resident what summer electric bills have looked like for comparable units, since efficiency varies with equipment age and condition.
What else in the unit affects cooling?
Note window direction, floor level, and blinds, since sun exposure changes how hard the system works. Combine this check with your natural-light check on the same tour.
Ask whether the community provides or allows blackout shades, window film, or ceiling fans, and whether any of those are already installed.
How are AC failures handled?
Ask how summer AC failures are treated: whether they count as emergencies, what the typical response time is, and whether there is an after-hours line. Get the process in writing if you can.
In Texas, landlords have legal duties around repairs, and there is a formal process for requesting them. The Texas State Law Library's repair guide explains how it works if you ever need it.