Montgomery County Council Member Tom Hucker yesterday held a press conference on a local bill to require air conditioning in rental units. Bill 24-19 would require all landlords to supply and maintain air conditioning between May 1 and September 30 for an inside temperature of 80 degrees or lower.
Hucker says that the proposal recognizes that cooling is a necessity, alongside similar laws mandating rental properties be heated. “We require our landlords to provide heat, but [there] is no requirement for air conditioning,” Hucker said.
Currently, a landlord is not required to provide air conditioning; however, if a landlord does provide air conditioning, it must be in working condition. “This June was the hottest June in recorded history. This July was not only the hottest July in recorded history, but it was also the hottest month in recorded history,” Hucker said.
The legislation is co-sponsored by Council President Nancy Navarro, Council Member Will Juwando, and Council Member Gabe Albornoz.
A workshop on the bill is scheduled for September 23.
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