Lower income Sask. renter wants AC included in rentals

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

A renter with Boardwalk apartments in Saskatoon knows this all too well. They wished to stay anonymous to avoid any issues with their landlord.

The renter said that, due to their lower income, they could not afford to rent a space with an air conditioner.

“It can get really, really hot… my room is on the top level and it got so hot that it felt like my brain was boiling inside my head,” said the renter.

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. “This means that we can’t have it on overnight. So, I would usually turn it on for a couple of hours when I would get home and then when we went to bed I would have to turn it off and lock the door,” said the renter.

When asked if all buildings should have AC units, the renter said it should be considered essential.

“Every year it’s gotten hotter and hotter, I think it is kind of crazy that there is anywhere that doesn’t have them. And that they charge extra for it,” said the renter.

The renter said they are looking to move out of the complex soon and that a place with an AC unit would be their top priority for their next rental.

The owner of RE/MAX Bridge City Realty, James Bailes, shared with 650CKOM that the city’s cheaper properties will be less likely to have air conditioning.

“The AC isn’t the top thing, they tend to be older properties so they will be priced accordingly, as in lower than say a newer modern home,” said Bailes, adding it’s the homeowner’s preference.

Bailes said he does his best to make air conditioners accessible to buyers.

“If a property I have does not have AC I, personally, have a great network of HVAC individuals. I will often ask them, ‘what is the cost for the new owner to put in an AC unit? Is it doable?'”

At the end of the day, someone who can not afford to buy a newly built home may be stuck without AC.

“It really comes down to the budget of the buyer,” said Bailes.