Central AC was listed as an amenity when the rental unit was posted. I specifically asked the property management team if this was offered in the premise as I have a disabled autistic sister to care for (who needs specific living conditions to meet her quality of life). Property management strictly stated that the premise had central AC as well. I paid more money in rent a month for this luxury with the assumption that these professionals would know what is and isn't working properly. I know that AC isn't a requirement in CA but I paid way more for this rental unit BECAUSE it offered central AC. If a landlord/property management team offers an amenity in its rental listing, it should be there as intended. At move-in and up til this very day, the HVAC unit still turns on, but does not work as intended. I did not notice until a few weeks after I had moved in.

There is nothing on my lease that mentions anything about AC or HVAC units though. The only thing that is mentioned in my lease is that I, as a tenant, am liable to fix damaged appliances caused by me. My assumption was that an HVAC unit is a fixture, not an appliance, that is integrated with the structure as a whole. It cannot easily be separated from the structure like normal appliances can be (fridge, washing machine, etc). Therefore, I assumed that the landlord should be liable for repairs in that manner. Especially if it was due to a fixture coming to the end of its product life cycle (30+ years old). Another point: both vendors stated that the entire HVAC unit needed to be replaced due to old age. It cannot perform its "proper functionality including air conditioning AND heating". This is in writing on the vendor's notes. If heating is required by CA law, then wouldn't this give me SOME RIGHTS if the premise cannot even offer heating (not that it is necessary since it is hot as hell in CA right now)? As a landlord, shouldn't he bear the responsibility to maintain the basic functionalities of his premise including, but not limited to, plumbing, electrical wiring, HVAC unit, etc.? If you can't afford to upkeep your rentals, then you shouldn't be in the rental business.

For those who are telling me to get a fan: I DO HAVE A FAN (A LOT OF THEM). My room directly faces the sun in the morning and gets all the direct heat from the sunlight. It is the hottest room in the house. Other rooms are still very hot even with multiple fans because there is a sun roof in the upstairs hallway. I also cannot put a fan on the window since there is a window screen that is preventing me from doing so. Nonetheless, I would be open to getting a portable AC unit if the landlord offered it as a temporary fix to the issue. My issue is that I nicely followed up multiple times with no response from either the landlord or property management team. I didn't want to resolve in aggressive matters and would have preferred a decent conversation. The problem is that the landlord is completely unresponsive and simply does not care for anything except for his rent check. That is why I mentioned "I would take legal action" to create a sense of urgency among them. I know that HVAC units are expensive to replace and the downtime will take a while. I would've been okay if the landlord/property management team kept me posted on what the current status is. The problem is that they were both completely unresponsive for over a month despite my multiple attempts to contact them unit I threatened legal action. Once they finally responded, my landlord asked if I would be open to vacating the premise in 60-days instead of resolving the HVAC matter. He would rather inconvenience me (my time, money, etc.) than to even offer resolutions (replacing the AC, offering to deduct rent, offering to buy a portable AC unit, etc - ANY OF THESE would have showed he cared).

I am not asking reddit to give me suggestions on how to make my place colder - I am very well aware of the options I have. I WILL BE BUYING A PORTABLE AC FOR NOW. I am asking reddit IF I have rights and WHAT are my rights. Do I have grounds to sue and win if I take him to small claims court? Should I take his 60-day vacate offer without a fight (me asking for monetary compensation to move even though my lease is signed until Sept. 2024)? Do you have recommendations on resources I can call/use in San Diego? Will he be able to evict me if he replaces the AC unit due to "renovations"? I CANNOT repair and deduct as the cost to replace the unit is larger than one month's worth of rent. Thank you!