Last month, Charlotte officials identified heat — and the rising number of extreme heat days — as the number one climate risk in Charlotte. That finding does not bode well for residents who live in rentals without air conditioning.
North Carolina does not require landlords to provide air conditioning in their rental properties. For years, advocates have pushed for an A/C mandate at the city level, but they are met with a common refrain from city officials:
“There's nothing we can adopt in terms of the ordinance at the local level, because we are bound by the state law,” Charlotte City Council member Dimple Ajmera said.
Instead of mandating A/C, the city is partnering with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to provide box fans to at-risk citizens. Ajmera said she has also been monitoring a bill in the General Assembly that would require landlords to provide air conditioning.
“We're watching to see if this bill will be passed,” she said.
However, that bill, sponsored by state Rep. Tracy Clark, looks to be dead for this session. She plans on reintroducing the bill next year. In the meantime, Charlotte residents can keep watch for box fans and cooling centers.
“A/C ought to be a necessity, not an amenity,” Clark said. “It's a human right.”