When the temperature drops and the heater doesn’t respond, a rental home stops feeling like a home. Heat is more than comfort. In most places, it’s a basic habitability requirement with legal consequences if it fails. I have seen leases unravel over a stubborn igniter and I have watched good tenant‑landlord relationships strengthen because someone handled a no‑heat call well at 9 p.m. on a Sunday. The difference usually comes down to preparation, clear communication, and a practical understanding of how heating systems fail and how the law views them.
This guide walks through both sides. It covers immediate steps when the heater is not working, a realistic sense of costs and timelines, and the judgment calls that separate a quick fix from a deeper HVAC problem. It also addresses common friction points: who pays for what, when a tenant can self‑repair, and how to balance safety with speed.
What “no heat” actually means and why the definition matters
Heat problems arrive in different forms. https://rowansdrs027.image-perth.org/when-hvac-system-lifespan-ends-signs-it-s-time-to-replace The system may not turn on at all. It may blow air that never warms. It may work on one side of a duplex and not the other. I once inspected a unit where the tenant swore the furnace was dead, but a single closed supply damper starved the bedroom of airflow while other rooms roasted. From a legal and technical standpoint, the definition of “no heat” can be broad, but most codes require the dwelling to maintain a minimum indoor temperature, commonly in the 65 to 70°F range during set hours, when the outdoor temperature is lower.
Context matters. A furnace that lags on a 50°F evening is annoying. A furnace not heating during a 10°F cold snap can be dangerous, especially for children, seniors, and anyone with health concerns. Health risk tends to push courts and code officials toward urgency. Even if the lease is silent, habitability standards usually establish the duty to provide heat and to repair without undue delay.
Immediate actions tenants can take before calling for service
A responsible tenant can rule out a few simples issues and speed up any service visit. These are not deep repairs, just basic checks that solve a meaningful percentage of “heater not working” calls in rentals.
- Verify thermostat settings: Make sure it is set to heat, not cool or off. Confirm the setpoint is higher than the room temperature. If it’s a programmable unit, disable schedules temporarily and try a manual heat call. Check power and fuel: Look for a tripped breaker, a shut-off switch near the furnace, or a blown fuse. For gas systems, confirm the gas supply valve is open and that other gas appliances work. Replace or reseat the air filter: A clogged filter can trigger high‑limit safety switches, causing short cycling or a total shutdown. If the filter is visibly dirty or more than 60–90 days old in a typical rental, replace it. Inspect vents and returns: Closed supply registers or blocked returns can make it seem like the furnace not heating, especially in rooms far from the air handler. Look for codes: Many furnaces flash LED error codes through a small window. If safe to do so, note the pattern. That code can help a technician bring the right part on the first visit.
If a quick check doesn’t restore heat, report the issue promptly. Ideally, use the landlord’s preferred method for maintenance requests and include specifics: thermostat reading, whether the blower runs, any unusual smells, noises, or error codes, and the time the problem started. Photos of the thermostat screen and the furnace compartment can save a trip.
What landlords should do in the first hour
Landlords thrive or struggle on response time. The first hour sets the tone. A brief acknowledgment builds trust, even if the repair will take time. If the outside temperature is low, that acknowledgment should include options to keep the tenant safe and reasonably comfortable while service is arranged.
Start with triage. Ask the tenant a few quick questions: Is the thermostat calling for heat? Do you smell gas? Any smoke or burning smell? If there is a gas odor, instruct the tenant to leave the unit, avoid switches or flames, and contact the gas utility emergency line. In most markets, gas utilities respond at no charge to investigate leaks.
Assuming no safety emergency, schedule a qualified HVAC technician. Tenants often assume “tomorrow morning” means someone is on the way. Vendors hear “tomorrow morning” from several property managers at once, and the squeaky wheel gets the first slot. If your vendor queue is thin, have a cold‑weather backup list. The time to build that list is in the off‑season.
If the forecast is severe and service cannot reach the unit the same day, provide temporary heat that meets safety standards. Many leases and local codes permit space heaters as a stopgap, but they bring risk. Choose stable oil‑filled or ceramic units with tip‑over protection and overheat shutoff, and provide enough to maintain livable temperatures in key rooms. Put safety guidance in writing. If the unit’s electrical system is old, spreading heaters across separate circuits matters.
Sorting symptoms: common rental heating failures
Residential rentals predominantly use one of three systems: gas forced‑air furnaces, electric heat pumps, or hydronic systems with boilers and radiators. In warm climates, heat pumps dominate because the same equipment handles cooling and heating. In colder climates, gas furnaces dominate. Each failure mode has a distinct flavor.
For a gas furnace that isn’t heating, common culprits include a dirty flame sensor, a failed hot surface igniter, a pressure switch stuck open due to a clogged condensate line, or a high‑limit trip from restricted airflow. I have watched technicians restore heat in 15 minutes by cleaning a flame sensor with emery cloth. I have also watched a simple‑seeming call become an all‑day affair when a condensate pump failed, flooded the secondary heat exchanger pan, and locked out the control board.
Heat pumps misbehave differently. In heating mode, a refrigerant leak or a stuck reversing valve can leave the system moving air but not heat. On very cold days, the heat pump depends on auxiliary electric heat strips. If the strips fail, tenants may report the ac not cooling in summer and weak heat in winter, but the summer complaint often arrives first. That dual‑season pattern is a hint that the issue is broader than one mode.
Boilers in rentals tend to be older. Air in the lines, a failed circulator pump, or a pilot/ignition problem can knock out heat to part or all of the dwelling. Thermostatic radiator valves can stick closed after a summer idle. Bleeding radiators can restore heat, but that’s not a job to assign casually to tenants, because boiler systems operate under pressure and produce very hot water or steam.
The legal landscape in plain terms
Laws vary by state and city, but a few principles show up across jurisdictions. Landlords must provide habitable housing, and heat is part of habitability in most places with winter weather. If the heater not working leaves the unit below the minimum temperature standard, the landlord has to remedy the problem in a reasonable time. “Reasonable” tends to compress when it’s cold. A 48‑hour window that is fine in October may be unacceptable during a January freeze.
Tenants have obligations too. They must promptly notify the landlord of problems, give reasonable access for repairs, and not cause the issue through misuse. Courts look for good faith on both sides. A tenant who refuses entry or who changed the furnace filter with the wrong size and collapsed it into the blower housing may complicate claims. A landlord who ignores messages or insists on waiting until business hours during a deep freeze invites penalties, rent abatements, or repair‑and‑deduct actions where permitted by law.
Repair‑and‑deduct laws allow tenants to hire a professional to fix urgent habitability issues and deduct the cost from rent if the landlord fails to act in a defined period. The number of days, the cap, and the notice requirements differ by jurisdiction. Tenants who consider this route should document everything and use licensed vendors with detailed invoices. Landlords should know the local rules and respond to no‑heat calls as if a city inspector might read the paper trail later.
Safety first, always
Heat production and combustion risk live close together. A do‑it‑yourself impulse can get people hurt. Tenants should not remove burner doors, bypass safety switches, relight pilots on sealed units, or open gas valves that were off for unknown reasons. Landlords should avoid asking tenants to perform tasks beyond simple checks. When in doubt about a gas smell, evacuate and call the utility.
Space heaters are a frequent fire source in rentals. If they are used temporarily, keep them clear of bedding and curtains, avoid extension cords, and shut them off when sleeping or leaving. Oil‑filled radiators are slower but safer than radiant coils for sustained use. A tenant with small children or pets needs extra caution; cords and hot surfaces burn and tip.
For electric furnaces and heat strips, high current draw increases the load on older panels. If lights dim when a space heater cycles, that circuit is near capacity. Spreading loads across different circuits and avoiding bathroom or kitchen GFCI circuits for heaters reduces nuisance trips and risk.
When “no heat” is a symptom of a bigger HVAC story
Heating systems rarely fail in isolation. The same ductwork carries cool air in summer and warm air in winter. A complaint of ac not cooling often shares a root cause with weak heat. Low airflow from a dirty evaporator coil, leaky ducts in an attic, or an undersized return can undermine both seasons. In older properties where additions were tacked on, I’ve seen rooms served by the original trunk line that was never resized for the added square footage. Those rooms run cold in winter and hot in summer. The furnace is not the only suspect.
Age matters. The HVAC system lifespan for a typical gas furnace runs 15 to 20 years in many climates, sometimes longer with good maintenance and clean combustion air. Heat pumps often last 10 to 15 years, though coastal salt and heavy use shorten that range. Boilers can run for decades if maintained, but their controls age out and efficiency lags. Rental portfolios often chase the last few years out of a system, then absorb a peak of capital replacement that arrives all at once across similar‑vintage properties. Staggered replacement plans help. So does a maintenance program that documents declining performance before it fails in January.
A good rule of thumb: if a furnace over 15 years old needs a major part like a heat exchanger or a control board plus labor that totals more than a third of a new system, replacement is worth a serious look. Tenants may roll their eyes at “bigger picture” talk during a cold night, but they will thank you if a replacement eliminates chronic outages and improves comfort.
Cost ranges and timelines you can count on
Costs vary by region, but ballparks give everyone a way to think. A trip charge and diagnostic fee often runs 75 to 150 dollars in normal hours. After‑hours calls add 50 to 200 dollars. Common parts like flame sensors, igniters, capacitors, and contactors typically cost 25 to 150 dollars in parts, with labor bringing the total repair into the 150 to 350 dollar range. A condensate pump replacement lands between 200 and 450 dollars. More involved repairs, such as an inducer motor or a draft assembly, may push into 400 to 800 dollars. A new control board for a mid‑range furnace can be 400 to 900 dollars installed. Full system replacements range widely. A basic 80 percent furnace in a straightforward installation might be 2,500 to 4,000 dollars, while a high‑efficiency condensing furnace can run 4,500 to 8,000 dollars with venting adjustments and a new drain.
Timelines hinge on parts availability. During cold snaps, wholesalers sell out of common igniters by mid‑day. If the vendor stocks a van well and the system model is common, same‑day restoration is realistic. If a proprietary board must ship, expect 2 to 5 days. Communicate that window to the tenant and bridge comfort with safe temporary heat.
Preventive maintenance that pays for itself
Rental properties face tougher operating conditions than owner‑occupied homes. Filters get ignored, doors stay open, and thermostats collect every curious button press. A clean filter and a tune‑up still go a long way. A spring and fall maintenance visit that includes combustion analysis on gas units, coil cleaning, refrigerant checks for heat pumps, safety switch verification, and drain line clearing can prevent the top failure modes that lead to a heater not working on a holiday weekend.
Documentation matters here. A maintenance log builds credibility if a dispute arises, shows patterns like frequent high‑limit trips that suggest airflow issues, and gives you the age and model information you will need under pressure.
Communication that lowers blood pressure
People are more patient when they know what is happening and why. Tenants respond well to updates that are specific. Instead of “We’re working on it,” try “The technician is scheduled between 2 and 5 today. If the pressure switch is the cause, he has the part on the truck. If it’s the inducer assembly, the part ships overnight and we’ll install tomorrow.” That sets expectations and reduces angry follow‑ups.
On the landlord side, tenants who send photos and describe symptoms clearly save you money. “Blower runs for 60 seconds then stops, no heat, LED flashes three times,” is worth ten vague texts. Encourage that level of detail by asking for it and by responding quickly when tenants provide it.
Edge cases that cause arguments
Every portfolio has stories. Here are a few that come up repeatedly.
A tenant blocks all returns with furniture. The furnace overheats and locks out. Technically, tenant behavior caused the problem, but the fix is minimal. Most landlords treat this as a learning moment, not a billable repair, unless it happens again.
A heat pump struggles at 20°F. The tenant complains of cold air. The system is functioning but undersized for the design day, or the auxiliary heat is disabled to save power. That’s a design problem, not a maintenance issue. The honest answer may be a cost‑benefit conversation about upgrading the system or supplementing with safe space heat on the coldest nights, plus better air sealing and insulation.
A boiler feeds radiators in a multi‑unit building. One unit runs hot, another cold. Balancing the system takes time, and old valves strip easily. Landlords often underestimate the labor. Build this into expectations, because “simple tweaks” may take several visits as air works out of the system.
The tenant refuses entry because of work hours or pets. Without access, a landlord cannot fix the heater. Both sides should propose windows that work. Many leases allow the landlord to enter with notice in an emergency when heat is out. Use that clause carefully, and document attempts to coordinate.
Smart thermostats and other modern twists
Smart thermostats added convenience and confusion. Tenants like the control, landlords worry about compatibility. Older furnaces without a C wire often suffer low‑voltage issues when a smart thermostat steals power. Symptoms include intermittent furnace lockouts that look like random failures. If tenants are allowed to install a smart thermostat, provide clear requirements: a compatible model, proper wiring, and approval for any adapter kits. Keep the old thermostat on site for reinstallation if needed.
Zoned systems, common in larger rentals, create layered faults. A failed zone damper can mimic a dead furnace in half the unit. Technicians need access to the attic or basement where the zone panel lives. Without that access, you will pay for multiple trips. Again, ask for photos of accessible equipment when you onboard a tenant, not during a breakdown.
When replacement is the right call
Sometimes spending 400 dollars today on a part sets you up for another 400 dollars next month. Patterns tell the story: frequent service calls, rising energy bills, uneven comfort, and parts that are no longer stocked suggest end‑of‑life. Age is the headline metric, but not the only one. If a cracked heat exchanger is suspected, that system is done. Carbon monoxide risk trumps repair.
Replacements open a chance to correct duct sizing, add returns, or improve filtration with a media cabinet rather than the thin one‑inch filter that tenants shove in at odd angles. A quiet, well‑sized blower reduces tenant tampering. Heat pumps paired with proper auxiliary heat and outdoor thermostats avoid skyrocketing power bills. Landlords who renovate between tenancies can insulate knee walls and seal attic penetrations, which lets a new system feel like a bigger upgrade than its tonnage would suggest.
Renting responsibly in extreme weather markets
In places where winter defines daily life, resilience matters. Backup heat sources like sealed‑combustion direct‑vent heaters in basements, or gas fireplaces with thermostatic control, can carry critical zones during outages. Building codes and insurance policies limit what is allowed and where. Where backup combustion is not practical, consider a few dedicated circuits labeled for temporary space heat. That is a small electrical upgrade that pays back during the inevitable emergency.
Tenants in cold markets should keep one spare filter, know the breaker location, and report small changes early. A faint burn smell on first heat is normal as dust burns off; a sharp, persistent smell is not. A rattling inducer in October is a nudge to call before January.
A practical dividing line for responsibilities
Landlords typically handle the system, tenants the daily care. That line is intuitive but benefits from being specific in the lease. Tenants can agree to replace filters on a defined schedule, keep vents and returns clear, and notify the landlord of any issues immediately. Landlords commit to timely repairs, seasonal maintenance, and replacement at end of life. Put access expectations in writing, including contact protocols for after hours. Ambiguity becomes conflict under stress.
If a tenant’s action directly causes damage, like a missing filter that ruins a blower wheel, a lease that clearly assigns filter maintenance supports charging back the repair. If access is denied and pipes freeze, documented attempts to enter protect the landlord, though that is cold comfort when you are repairing burst lines.
A short, sensible checklist for both sides
- Report no‑heat issues immediately and document symptoms with photos or codes. Confirm power, thermostat settings, and filter condition while waiting for service. Use safe temporary heat if needed, with clear written guidance and enough capacity. Schedule qualified HVAC service quickly and communicate realistic timelines. Address root causes during and after the repair, not just the symptom, and log the work.
The bigger picture: comfort, trust, and the long game
Heating failures are inevitable over the HVAC system lifespan. How you handle them affects more than a single month’s rent. Tenants remember the landlord who showed up, who took their 2 a.m. text seriously, and who followed through. Landlords remember tenants who communicated clearly and cared for the equipment. The technical steps may be straightforward, but the human part carries equal weight.
When the heater not working interrupts daily life, the goal is simple: restore safe, stable heat as quickly as possible, then lower the odds of a repeat. Get the basics right, keep the paperwork clean, and confront the edge cases with common sense. Do that consistently, and a midwinter outage becomes a story about reliability instead of frustration.
AirPro Heating & Cooling
Address: 102 Park Central Ct, Nicholasville, KY 40356
Phone: (859) 549-7341