Lower-income Saskatchewan tenant wants air conditioning included in rent

Saskatchewan has been hot during this record-breaking summer. Unfortunately, cooling down with an air conditioner is a luxury not everyone can afford.

A tenant at Boardwalk Apartments in Saskatoon knows this all too well. They asked to remain anonymous to avoid problems with their landlord.

The tenants split their rent because they had a lower income and could not afford to rent a space with air conditioning.

“It can get really hot in there… my room is on the top floor and it got so hot it felt like my brain was boiling in my head,” the tenant said.

For now they have a temporary solution.

“We have a portable (AC) unit that I borrowed from my mom, but it has to be attached to the screen door, which doesn’t have a lock,” they explained. “That means we can’t have it on at night. So I would usually leave it on for a few hours when I got home, and then when we went to bed, I had to turn it off and lock the door,” the renter said.

When asked whether all buildings should have air conditioning, the tenant replied that it should be considered essential.

“Every year it gets warmer and warmer, I find it a little crazy that there is a place where they don’t have that. And they charge extra for it,” the tenant said.

The tenant stated that he/she plans to move out of the complex soon and that a place with air conditioning would be a top priority for his/her next rental.

RE/MAX Bridge City Realty owner James Bailes told 650CKOM that less expensive homes in the city are less likely to have air conditioning.

“The AC is not the most important thing, these are often older properties so the price will be accordingly, lower than say a newer modern home,” Bailes said, adding that it is the homeowner’s preference.

Bailes indicated that he is doing his best to make air conditioners accessible to buyers.

“If a home I have doesn’t have AC, I personally have a large network of HVAC individuals. I often ask them, ‘What is the cost to the new owner to put in an AC unit? Is that feasible?’”

But ultimately, someone who can’t afford to buy a new home may be left without air conditioning.

“It really depends on the buyer’s budget,” Bailes said.