Charlotte City Council’s Housing Committee is considering whether landlords should be required to provide air conditioning in rental homes.
The discussion came during a review of the city’s Minimum Housing Code, which sets standards for safe, livable housing. North Carolina’s building code requires heating but not cooling. In Charlotte, while air conditioning is not mandatory, if it is provided, the system must be operable and maintained by landlords.
Councilmember Kimberly Owens said she wants to understand how much more it would cost for landlords before considering making any changes to local policies.
"I would like to understand what these costs would potentially be and what some of those arguments are so that we can have a holistic view and appreciate that those were probably arguments that have been made in the past," Owens said. "Any time something that has been deemed a health and safety issue has been required of the city."
The committee voted unanimously to develop possible language for the city’s legislative agenda ahead of its September meeting. But there are concerns about whether the city has the legal authority to mandate air conditioning.
