A tenant asking for air conditioning does not oblige the landlord to fit it, and a tenant must not instruct an installer to drill a rented wall. If the landlord agrees, it is an alteration: survey, outdoor position, planning or permitted development, freeholder consent on a flat, and an F-gas company. Write down who pays, who services, who owns the plant, and what happens when the tenancy ends. Electricity is usually the tenant's bill if they control the use. None of that is automatic.
A written ask, and a written yes or no
The tenancy agreement usually forbids alterations without consent. Air conditioning is pipes through a wall and a condenser outside, not a fan you take to the next flat. Tenants should ask in writing. Landlords should answer in writing, yes or no, with reasons if the building cannot take it. A landlord can refuse. You can ask. They do not have to alter the building. Do not arrange the install yourself.
A no is allowed. Heatwaves are uncomfortable and they are not, by themselves, an order to install plant. Where the home is already overheating because of disrepair, that is a different housing question. Do not muddle it with a request for a designer split. Citizens Advice is the consumer side of home improvements. It does not create a right to a condenser. Survey before you agree a brand. On a flat, the freeholder sits beside planning. GOV.UK F-gas certification is the company to name in the consent.
Who pays, who services, and the rest of the stack
Sometimes the landlord pays and rents the comfort back over time. Sometimes the tenant pays for a system that stays as the landlord's fixture. Sometimes it is refused because the outdoor unit would upset the neighbour. Those are negotiations. They are not standard terms this page can assign to you. If you pay, you can take it when you leave only if the written agreement says so, and only with F-gas recovery and making good. Many landlords will only agree if the system stays. Sort that before it is fitted.
Servicing, filter cleaning and call-out need an owner. If nobody is responsible, the unit will silt up and the warranty will fail. Put the annual service and the F-gas company in the same letter as the yes. Electricity is usually the person who pays the bill for that meter, often the tenant, because they choose how long it runs. Confirm it in writing. It is not a rule this page can impose on your contract. In England, the Planning Portal summary of Class G may cover a suitable air source heat pump that is not used solely for cooling, subject to the current limits. Many rented flats still need planning permission and always need the freeholder. A house let on an AST can be simpler and can still fail on a party wall, a conservation area or a neighbour's bedroom window. Insurance is the landlord's question to ask their own insurer, not a clause to invent. Energy Saving Trust describes air-to-air heat pumps. Tell the insurer a fixed condenser is going on the building if you proceed, and get their reply in writing. Room, who pays, ownership at the end of the tenancy, service interval, and whether the tenant may control the setpoint all belong in that letter. Commissioning paperwork should go to the landlord, with a copy to the tenant who will use it. Installers should not accept an instruction from an occupier alone.
Frequently asked questions
Can my landlord refuse air conditioning?
Yes. You can ask. They do not have to alter the building. Do not arrange the install yourself.
If I pay for it, can I take it when I leave?
Only if the written agreement says so, and only with F-gas recovery and making good. Many landlords will only agree if the system stays. Sort that before it is fitted.
Who pays the electricity?
Usually the person who pays the bill for that meter, often the tenant, because they choose how long it runs. Confirm it in writing. It is not a rule this page can impose on your contract.
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How this guide was prepared
This guide was written by the Local AC Installers Editorial Team. We compare official guidance, legislation and established consumer information, separate general information from project-specific advice, and show publication dates and sources. We do not accept installer accreditation claims at face value.