Landlord-induced migraines are basically a tradition these days, regardless of where you live. Unfortunately, if you live in Minnesota, you might get a premium or special version of that headache because one renter in the aforementioned US state likely has their new A/C unit ruined because their landlord literally painted over it.
The disgruntled complaint came from Reddit user Fearless_Ad8943, who took to the r/legal subreddit to seek counsel on how to proceed or whether the damage is fixable or not. Fearless_Ad8943 even posted a picture of their newly bought window-type A/C unit, which now has pink paint (or maybe brownish red) all over its outdoor half, including the coils, which meant that the paint job was quite meticulous since whoever painted it reached inside.
To be more specific and perhaps even vindicate the landlord themselves, they likely hired someone else to do the painting. The landlord apparently even advised the renter to “Keep windows closed all week” so that the paint fumes won’t settle inside the house. That’s the only instruction they received. Too bad the instructions didn’t work, since the A/C unit will still bring in that fresh chemical smell.
While it’s a pretty decent paint job (at least for the house), it’s bad for the A/C unit, as paint can affect the conductivity of the coils, which could lead to overheating and possibly, in the long run, a ruined AC unit.
The best advice that Fearless_Ad8943 received was to tell the landlord to replace the A/C or check it for damage and hold the painters accountable. The paint job practically resulted in the potential destruction of property, though a $300 A/C unit is not exactly a big case.
Was the Damage Deliberate?
From the image of the A/C paint job, some of the Redditors have surmised that the painters used painter’s tape to avoid getting paint on the windows and could’ve wrapped the A/C unit. They clearly didn’t, so another possible angle was that either the Minnesota landlord or the painters didn’t care much for the tenant’s property (which isn’t exactly a rare occurrence).
Regardless, a lot of people in Fearless_Ad8943’s Reddit post resonated with their complaints, especially with too many unpleasant landlords right now in the US, which is currently undergoing a housing crisis. Certain Reddit users have taken to mockery, while others were less peaceful towards either the landlord or the painters.
“Whoever painted it should have rubbed their last two brain cells together and thought about what they were doing before they did it,” says Secure-Bus4679
“Probably the lowest bidder, so they couldn’t afford to cut into their profit. Honestly, I’m not surprised there isn’t overspray on the brick/plants,” surmises Distinct_Ad_9842
“No professional painter would spray into a unit like that, that’s ridiculous. If you weren’t expected to prep for the windows, why would you be expected to prep the AC unit? That’s the painters job,” criticizes HeyRainy
“I would be pissed. The ac won’t work properly now. The paint will make the coils hotter,” according to Ok_Growth_5587
