When an air-conditioner cleaning charge appears
An air-conditioner line sometimes puts cleaning, a full internal wash, a repair, and removal into one amount. Separate which of those it is first.
In the guidelines’ examples, failure at the end of the equipment’s life is the landlord’s share, and damage from how the tenant used it is the tenant’s share. Dust on a filter, mold inside, and a unit that does not cool are different facts on the same machine. This split is an example, not the conclusion for that unit.
Separate cleaning from repair
Place the wording on the invoice into one of these. If you cannot tell, leave it unknown.
- Cleaning the filter or the panel
- Washing the inside after taking it apart
- Replacing a part, or repair
- Removal, relocation, or disposal
If repair is mixed in, write the symptom, when you noticed it, and whether you reported it during the tenancy, as separate facts. When a leak or mold overlaps a building issue, also read What to ask about a leak or mold charge.
Look at the count and the unit price
See whether the number of units matches the number of rooms. If you cannot tell whether a line is the price of one unit or a package for all of them, ask for the count and the unit price. Also see whether the air conditioner is inside a house-cleaning total and charged again on its own line. How to read the whole cleaning line is in How to read a house-cleaning charge.
Find the special term
If the lease says air-conditioner cleaning is the tenant’s, read whether that sentence is ordinary filter cleaning or a full wash at move-out. If the bill uses a name of work the clause does not mention, ask which clause it is. How to extract a term is in What to look for in a lease special term.
In photos, keep the vent and the model
If you keep photos, the vent, the place it is installed, and the model number help check the count. Even if you have no photo of the inside taken apart, if they say the inside is dirty, ask for that explanation and whether they have a photo. How to shoot is in Photos to keep before you move out.
The reference entry point is the guidelines on restoration to original condition. This article does not set a national price for cleaning.