Replacing the wood heater for a reverse-cycle air conditioner can bump up the rent for landlords and could potentially add value to a property, according to a Launceston-based property manager.
With spring already under way and Launceston's icy temperatures starting to ease, Peter Lees Real Estate general manager Helen Ryan said it's prime time for landlords to consider the switch.
"The majority of tenants prefer the electric pump (reverse-cycle air conditioner) over the old wood heaters, particularly the younger ones. The majority of tenants are even prepared to pay $20 per week extra for the change," said Ryan of the more economical option for tenants.
She said equally the property value would possibly see a boost and would definitely be the icebreaker for buyers when considering two similar properties, one with a heat pump and one without.
Ryan said that with a heat pump the property would be cheaper to maintain and the heating would be cheaper to run.
"It means the houses won't get the smoke damage and landlords don't need to repaint walls and ceilings as often. It also means reduced risk of burn holes in the carpet," she said.
In her five-and-a-half years of property managing, Ryan said she only knows of three landlords replacing their wood heaters with electric pumps, even with the Launceston City Council's $500 grant on offer for this replacement as part of their cleaner air initiative.
She said that up until now landlords have really only looked at the initial upfront costs of buying the heat pump in excess of the $500 grant, not the long-term added value and savings.
Of the investors who have already installed the electric pump in other rooms of the house, this season is the time to get in and service them, she said. "Especially while tenants aren't using them and if landlords want their heat pumps to remain efficient for next winter."
