My air conditioning went out. How much time does my Tri-Cities landlord have to fix it?

Early July is often the hottest stretch of the year in eastern Washington, with temperatures frequently capable of reaching the triple digits, and this summer appears to be no different. The Tri-Cities area can expect a massive heat wave starting this weekend, with forecasts as high as 110 degrees.

The National Weather Service in Pendleton provides a forecast seven days out. The current forecast shows temperatures above 100 degrees every day for the next six straight days, with the only outlier being 99 degrees on Friday.

Saturday and Sunday are both f orecast to be “sunny and hot,” with highs between 100 and 105 degrees, according to the Weather Service.

With temperatures so high, Tri-Citians are naturally cranking their air conditioners. But what protections are in place for remaining cool during heat waves?

Cooling protections in WA rentals

If you rent your property, you may be familiar with the Washington Residential Landlord-Tenant Act . As the state authority on rental agreements and standards, the legislation requires landlords to respond to repair and maintenance needs in a timely manner.

If your power or heat goes out, your landlord is required to respond within 24 hours.

But the same standard is not held for cooling. Unless considered a life-threatening condition, in which case the 24-hour rule holds, landlords have 10 days to make such repairs.

It’s not explicitly stated in the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act if a lack of air conditioning during extreme heat is considered a life-threatening condition that landlords must respond to within one day. That said, extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths every year, according to the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department .

The most recent data from the Washington State Department of Health reports that 214 people died from heat-related issues between 2018 and 2022.

My A/C went out; now what?

So, what do I do if my A/C goes out? The best practices will depend on your living situation.

If you’re in a rental, the first thing you need to do is report the issue to your landlord or management company.

Then, in order to keep the inside temperatures from rising too much, you should take steps to cool the place down using other methods. Common recommendations include:

• Using fans (switch your overheads to reverse if possible)
• Install insulating window film, window reflectors and/or blackout curtains
• Switch to LED bulbs
• Sleep with cooling bedding
• Stay away from large appliances as much as possible
• If it’s humid, install a dehumidifier

You can also rent air conditioning units from Rent-a-Centers and some other retail options, like United Rentals , Sunbelt Rentals and Home Depot.

If your place is still too hot, consider stopping by a cooling shelter in your area. In Tri-Cities, you can find these at:

Richland

• Richland Public Library - 955 Northgate Drive

• Richland Community Center - 500 Amon Park Drive

Kennewick

• Mid-Columbia Libraries Keewaydin Park - 405 S. Dayton St.

• Columbia Center Mall - 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd.

• Mid-Columbia Libraries Kennewick - 1620 S. Union St.

Pasco

• Tri-City Union Gospel Mission Men’s Shelter - 221 S. 4th Ave.

• Tri-City Union Gospel Mission Women’s Shelter - 110 N. 2nd Ave.

• Mid-Columbia Libraries Pasco - 1320 W. Hopkins St.

• First Avenue Center - 505 N. 1st Ave.

• Mid-Columbia Libraries West Pasco - 7525 Wrigley Drive

Prosser

• Becky’s Coffee Corner - 1120 Meade Ave.

• Renz Farmers Insurance Agency - 1108 Meade Ave.

• Mid-Columbia Libraries Prosser - 902 7th St.

Others

• Mid-Columbia Libraries West Richland - 3803 W. Van Giesen St.

• Mid-Columbia Libraries Benton City - 810 Horne Drive

• Mid-Columbia Libraries Kahlotus - 225 E. Weston St.

• Mid-Columbia Libraries Connell - 118 N. Columbia Ave.

• Mid-Columbia Libraries Basin City - 50 N. Canal Blvd. A

Public assistance for cooling costs

Some public assistance programs exist to help Washingtonians pay for utilities, including air conditioning.

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program allocates funding to community non-profits and local municipalities in the state to use as energy assistance for eligible residents. You can check if you are eligible for benefits online .

Through the program, energy providers receive grants on behalf of eligible households. LIHEAP can also help repair or replace unsafe systems at times.

In Tri-Cities, these funds are allocated through the Benton-Franklin Community Action Committee .