Replacing the HVAC filter at your rental house is a very important thing that must be done every quarter. That's why we send you the filter as part of your Resident Benefits Package so that you don't have to worry about getting it. But putting it in the system is still your responsibility when it shows up, and it's incredibly important that you do that right away.
Your lease requires you to replace the filter within two (2) days of it showing up. The reason this is so important is that changing the filter keeps the HVAC system healthy. If the filter doesn't get changed, then the system works harder, which causes it to wear out faster and experience additional repair requirements. In addition to this, your electric bill also goes up, because the system has to run longer every day to accomplish the same amount of cooling or heating. So both you and the landlord are suffering financially when the filter doesn't get changed.
Because of this, your lease is very strict about the requirements for changing the filter. If our inspector shows up to the property for their periodic inspection and the filter has not been changed, then your lease says that you will be charged a $250 HVAC Liquidated Damages Fee. This fee is to compensate the landlord for wear and tear on the HVAC system as a result of the filter not being changed on time. The lifetime of the system will be reduced when the filter isn't changed, and repair bills increase, so the landlord needs to be compensated for that harm.
The easy way to avoid this fee is to just make sure that you replace the filter when it comes in, every time. The filter has an expiration date stamped on it for our inspector to see, and they are trained to check that date. If the filter is expired, they will have to replace the filter while they're there, and we will have to charge you the $250 liquidated damages. We do not want to do this, as we'd much rather have the filter just changed on time to protect the system, so please be sure that the filter is changed when it gets delivered.
