Every apartment I've ever rented has had a barebones, one-temperature, set it and forget it thermostat.
I would fully support legislation requiring a minimally-programmable thermostat in rental housing.
I would fully support legislation requiring a minimally-programmable thermostat in rental housing.
Most programmable thermostats need batteries, which now have to be changed on a maintenance schedule. One more task for the superintendent.
These batteries often fail without warning. Which means pipes can freeze, leading to property damage. Most homeowners don't even know they have batteries till the heat stops working and they call the HVAC guy.
When property management does not pay the utility bill they will furnish apartments with the cheapest energy hog appliances. When they do pay the utility bill they will lock the thermostat.
If you select an premium apartment and the market is not tilted in favor of landlords as it is in most cities then they tend to care about the customer experience. Since they're making their margin on the higher rent already and they know too much BS will lead to people switching away.