Renters in B.C. building told they can’t have air conditioners

With summer temperatures rising every year and the B.C. government handing out air conditioning units to vulnerable people, some renters in the province are being told by their landlords that they cannot have air conditioners.

Ryan Le Néal has been living in an apartment in New Westminster since 2008 and said he has been using a portable AC unit without issue for three years.

“The suites below me were vacant,” he told Global News when he moved in.

“No air conditioning or no insulation, nothing. And it was just heat radiating up through the floor. 38 degrees, almost touching 40 degrees Celsius, you know, and that’s even before we had the heat (dome).”

Le Néal said he uses it to help get to sleep but he doesn’t use it all the time.

He works as an elevator maintenance technician so he often works in very hot conditions so he likes to enjoy the cooler air at home.

4:43 Tenant advocates urge landlords to remove rules against air conditioning

However, Le Néal said he recently received an email from the property management company addressed to all tenants, telling them they cannot use air conditioners in their units.

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It advised them to check with an electrician if they do want to use one as if it is unsafe, the tenant will be liable for any damage.

“So I took everything down and then I did as the email exactly said I contacted the electrician,” Le Néal said. “I actually contacted several electricians and I confirmed what I already knew about amperage and circuit breakers and felt quite comfortable that my system was safe and plugged it back in.”

The New Westminster Tenant’s Union said they have heard from tenants in other buildings owned by the same landlord.

“My main concern is that tenants don’t know that there are things that they can dispute or that they might leave or that there are other tenants who can look out for them,” Brook Jensen with the organization told Global News.

4:02 How to stay cool during B.C.’s heat wave

B.C.’s Minister for Housing, Ravi Kahlon, told Global News the province is looking into what is happening around air conditioning and building regulations.

“How many landlords are there that are actually putting in barriers from people being able to stay cool?” Kahlon said.

“But secondly, also the challenges that are real. We know that some of these older buildings have real structural issues, (and) perhaps don’t have the energy capacity to be able to put these units in. So how do we find that balance and get people the ability to stay cool with the real issues that exist with some of these old, old buildings?”

Kahlon added that underway at this time is looking at building code changes for air conditioning units in new buildings with consultations set to begin this fall.

“The message to landlords is you know, do your part,” Kahlon said in the meantime. “You know, if it was cold out, we would ensure that people have heat and now this warm temperature is going to be the norm going forward.”

In a statement from the landlord, their lawyer cites the age of the building with an old electrical system as an issue.

While accommodations can be considered, no requests have been made so far and the tenant would be responsible for any damage.

4:32 B.C. government to provide air conditioners for some at-risk individuals

For now, Le Néal said he is going to continue with what he is doing and use his air conditioner as needed.

“Check the weather in the morning, if it’s going to be super hot when I get home, I’ll do like I usually do, putting the timer to go off one hour before I get home,” he said.

“So the air conditioner not going all day. I close all the rooms that I don’t need – washroom, bedroom. I just, you know, cool a small area for my personal comfort. Go have a shower. I don’t need an air conditioner while I’m in the shower. Come out, usually cool down from the shower, turn off the air conditioner, have a beer, enjoy the rest of the day.”