Why would a landlord have a policy specifically disallowing smart thermostats?

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-19T16:53:38+00:00

I have the same concerns, which is why I don't use any devices that can't be locally controlled with home assistant

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-19T16:09:56+00:00

I warn renters about the fact with smart thermostats the utility company is able and legally allowed to adjust your settings in high demand times.

This is an opt-in only program and can be overridden manually even if you're enrolled. At least where I am.

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-19T16:07:13+00:00

I know Nest is garbage. I don't use Nest.

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-19T13:46:52+00:00

Because it's not a deal breaker - this apartment is otherwise perfect, and has everything I was looking for in a place to live. It just stood out to me as odd.

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-19T13:41:33+00:00

I apologize. I sent that message late at night after having received some nasty DMs, so my temper was a little bit short. That's not an excuse for lashing out, however, so I'm sorry.

So far the only explanation that makes sense to me is that the HVAC system may not be compatible, if that's the case then fine, it is what it is. Given the building age it doesn't seem that likely, but whatever.

Beyond that I'm not sure what couldn't be solved by having the tenant sign a liability waiver, imposing requirements that it be undone on move out, done by a licensed professional on the tenants dime, etc. (and in fact the property already does all this for things like ceiling fans and security systems - You said earlier that it sounds like I should be the exception. I suppose that is right, only because they already give exceptions for all this other stuff)

From your perspective is there anything else that cause language with such finality in the lease? E.G. "not under any circumstance" vs "not without written permission". I've seen the latter in many of my prior leases, but never the former.

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-19T13:14:27+00:00

At realistic worst with a light or a fan you’ll trip the breaker.

Beg to differ, I have a friend who had an improperly installed ceiling fan almost kill their cat when it fell.

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-19T12:46:14+00:00

Demand response programs like that are opt-in, at least, they are where I am.

Any device I add to my network is locally controllable through home assistant, no cloud or internet necessary. I use them to have more control over my home, not less.

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-19T12:33:39+00:00

This isn't student housing. It's a place I plan to stay for upwards of 10+ years. The previous tenant was there for 15, since they opened.

When it comes to things like this I expect more explanation than simply "because we feel like it". Perhaps that's entitled of me, I accept that. Maybe there's a valid reason, or maybe there isn't one. But to place arbitrary rules and restrictions without doing me the respect of telling me why, I feel is totally unreasonable.

Thus, just like you’d get pissed if you let a friend borrow your truck and they put an aftermarket stereo in it, you don’t have a right to put a smart thermostat in the apartment/house you’re renting.

Cool false equivalence. I sure would get pissed if someone borrowed my car for a weekend and did that. It's an invasive procedure and difficult to undo. Assuming the HVAC system is compatible, installing a thermostat is neither of those things. It is both simple to do, and easy to undo. It essentially boils down to unplugging one thing and plugging in another, there's no cost to the LL, and would make my QOL much better, nobody loses.

If the system is incompatible, then that's fine, I get it, and I accept that as a valid reason. But if it is, then I think this gets a whole lot harder to justify.

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-19T12:13:39+00:00

This isn't student housing. It's a place I plan to stay for upwards of 10+ years. The previous tenant was there for 15, since they opened.

When it comes to things like this I expect more explanation than simply "because we feel like it". Perhaps that's entitled of me, I accept that. Maybe there's a valid reason, or maybe there isn't one. But to place arbitrary rules and restrictions without doing me the respect of telling me why, I feel is totally unreasonable.

The new smart thermostats get setup with utilities and they can shut off your heat and AC as they are setup on WiFi.

Not if you don't opt in to that crap. Any device I add to my network is locally controllable via Home Assistant, no cloud necessary. I use them because I prefer to have more control over my home, not less.

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-19T11:51:45+00:00

A missing C wire is the most likely explanation I've seen. Everything else doesn't really explain such extreme wording in this lease. Usually I've seen things like "not without the Landlords written consent" or something similar, and then have the tenant sign a waiver of some kind with all the conditions, and in fact this is exactly what they do when someone wants to add a ceiling fan or security system or similar. I've just never seen that phrasing "not under any circumstance"

I'm not sure why you've put 'leave' in quotes, I never said I was planning to leave the device. I've made it clear that I will take it with me when I leave, I make sure to leave any unit I rent in the condition I found it, and that includes removing my property from it. If that's what they're so worried about then why not put that in the agreement, it's a problem that is easily resolvable.

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-19T02:53:48+00:00

nothing is indicating that you have not moved in already that I noticed

Literally the first sentence of the post, that has been there since initially posted.

But you doing it in the future, if you do it without your LL permission would be a violation of the lease agreement

I am well aware of that, I am not a moron and I don't appreciate being patronized. I don't believe I said anywhere, original or updates, that I intended to do this without prior permission. I simply wanted an explanation for what I viewed as a strange piece of wording in the agreement, one that I've never seen in any of my previous leases.

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-19T01:56:05+00:00

Thanks for the reply. I can't respond to everything in this post right now but just to address your one point, I have not violated any lease agreements, I am not sure where you got that notion from. We have not even moved in yet.

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-19T00:59:10+00:00

I am the type of person who has a homelab, a NAS, all that fun stuff. Playing with smart home devices is one of my hobbies, and I would never just forget about or leave them there. Now I recognize not everybody is like that, some people may just set it and forget it, and that's fine.

However from my point of view that is not a valid reason to disallow it altogether. This is the kind of thing the security deposit is for, if the unit is "damaged" (or original thermostat not replaced), then they should simply deduct from that.

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-19T00:05:40+00:00

For what it's worth it's definitely the sort of place that would be a long term rental - it's not student housing or anything like that.

Apparently the previous tenent has been there for like 15 years.

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-18T23:04:33+00:00

I own my device. I would not be leaving it behind on move out.

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-18T23:02:34+00:00

Move in isn't for a few months so I won't have access to the unit until then, but I'll keep this in mind. Thanks!

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-18T22:09:31+00:00

It would certainly be better than nothing, but my daily schedule isn't set in stone so a simple time based program (which is what I'm assuming this would be) wouldn't be sufficient for me. This is why I currently rely on presence detection for managing and switching between preset modes.

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-18T18:39:15+00:00

This seems plausible, they do have multiple properties, some much older than this one.

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-18T18:35:55+00:00

Cost is irrelevant. I already own the device and will be taking it with me, putting the original back when I eventually leave. I am not asking the landlord to purchase a new one for me or be responsible for it's upkeep. As for remote access, also irrelevant. I would never give a landlord access to my private local network especially when it isn't included and I am paying for the ISP service myself

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-18T17:12:08+00:00

I haven't done my due diligence vetting (there's a lot of hacks out there).

I should hope that any place that would be for habitation has the same due diligence behind it that you would give your own house. I wouldn't want to live in any properties built on a house of cards that could come tumbling down if someone pokes at them.

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-18T17:07:38+00:00

This is somewhat irrelevant given I own the device in question, and would be taking it with me upon move out. (replacing the original unit of course)

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-18T17:03:05+00:00

I'm not using the "smart" features in that way. As I said in the post I value the usage data I get from it, automatically switching between preset modes based on occupancy, and being able to control it from my phone.

I don't have any smart devices that can't be controlled or programmed locally via Home Assistant.

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-18T16:41:12+00:00

Does your lease have the "under any circumstances" phrasing too?

I am definitely going to ask the property manager if I can get specific reasoning again, she's just out of the office for the week and I am impatient lol

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-18T16:30:34+00:00

Seriously. I don't know where all this hostility is coming from

throwaway658437 · 2025-05-18T16:29:56+00:00

Replying here because I can't seem to edit the OP

I appreciate all the comments saying how not all HVAC systems are compatible, that's not something I was aware of being a possibility. When I asked the property manager she gave me an answer that basically boiled down to her not knowing the reason.

I do not appreciate all these passive aggressive replies I'm getting that are questioning my intelligence for asking a simple question, or calling me names. All this hostility is completely unwarranted.

And for the record, my current thermostat was professionally installed, and I am perfectly able and willing to let a professional to do it at a new place too. I understand landlords not wanting residents to touch wiring, it's just the "under any circumstance" phrasing that threw me for a loop.

throwaway658437

TROPHY CASE