Air Duct Cleaning Requirements for Property Owners

Air duct cleaning is one of the most important things a homeowner can do to ensure their home is not a breeding ground for allergies and respiratory conditions. When performed on a regular basis air vent cleaning can also help ensure a long life for a home's HVAC system and save the homeowner money by ensuring that the system is always operating at the highest level of efficiency. But what about commercial buildings? Do businesses need to have their air ducts cleaned as often as homes? And maybe more importantly, are they legally obligated to clean their air ducts on a regular basis? Read on to find out.

Are Commercial Properties in Arvada Obligated by Law to Clean Their Air Ducts?

In the UK commercial property owners are legally obligated to clean their air ducts at least once every 12 months. The UK government keeps a sharp eye out for those who don’t comply and penalties can be significant. But what about the US, and in particular, Colorado? Are businesses here required by law to clean their ducts?

The short answer is “no”. The US has a tradition of being an anti-regulation nation, and that anti-regulatory attitude extends to air ducts as well as countless other things. However, residential buildings such as condos and apartment buildings occupy something of a legal gray area when it comes to duct cleaning.

You see, landlords have a legal obligation to make sure the housing they provide meets certain minimum requirements of livability. Legally this is known as a “warranty of habitability” and many legal experts believe it extends to condo associations as well as landlords.

What does this have to do with HVAC cleaning? Well, while there is no law that says you must clean your air ducts every year a tenant might be able to bring a claim against a landlord if dirty air ducts have caused or aggravated a respiratory condition. The claim could be based on the notion that the landlord failed to live up to the warrant of livability and so is liable for damages.

But fear of litigation should not be the only thing compelling landlords to keep their air ducts clean.

Why Landlords Should Clean the Air Ducts in Rental Properties

Landlords often ask us why they should have their ductwork cleaned. There are actually several very good reasons including:

• Optimizing the performance of their HVAC system – A clean HVAC system is an efficient HVAC system. The more efficient the system the cheaper it will be to operate.
• Preventing potential liability claims as we discussed above – If someone develops a respiratory problem and they can link it to dirty air ducts the landlord may be forced to pay compensation.
• To prevent mold from stinking up the apartment building – Mold spores circulating through the HVAC system present a real health hazard. But more than that mold and mildew in the vents can make the entire building smell musty and moribund.
• To prevent their rental property from losing market value – A foul-smelling building that attracts lawsuits is not going to maintain its proper market value.

The absolute best way to stay on top of these issues is to call Steve's Air Duct Cleaning and arrange for annual air duct cleaning. It's the cost-effective way to keep your residential building in tip-top shape.

What goes for apartments and condo buildings also goes for commercial offices, malls, and other buildings. Making sure the ductwork is always clean and hygienic will make the building cheaper to run, prevent potential lawsuits, and help the building retain its market value.

Contact Steve's Air Duct Cleaning

To schedule air vent cleaning in Arvada for your apartment or office building call Steve's Air Duct Cleaning at (720) 419-7792.