Rental-flat handover: one overhaul, two lighter cleaning scopes

A three-unit multi-split was being prepared for a rental handover. The living-room unit had weak airflow, the spare room smelled damp on startup, and the main bedroom cooled normally. Quoting the same overhaul for all three would ignore the condition inside each fan coil.

By Team Snowflake | Reviewed 25 Jul 2026

Case summary

Daikin Multi-split5 years oldHDBSengkang, Singapore

Concern: The landlord could approve three overhauls when only one unit showed buildup that justified dismantling
Found: One overhaul, one targeted drain clean, and one routine service
Key check: Open, run, and record every fan coil before choosing the cleaning depth
Result: After the work, living-room airflow was even, the spare-room startup smell had cleared, and the main bedroom remained normal. The handover record explained all three scopes for future servicing decisions.

What we were told

After the tenancy ended, the living-room aircon took longer to cool and moved less air. The spare room smelled damp when started after being kept closed. The main bedroom still cooled normally. Earlier servicing notes grouped all three units together and did not record their room-by-room condition.

What we checked

We treated each fan coil as a separate decision and ran all three before cleaning anything. We compared the filters, coil faces, blowers, drain trays, airflow, odour, fan sound, and cooling response. That sequence stopped the spare-room smell from being treated as proof of deep coil buildup. We checked shared outdoor operation after the room pattern was clear.

The living-room filter looked clean, but compacted buildup remained across the blower and behind the visible coil face.
The main-bedroom coil and blower carried light surface dust. Airflow, drainage, sound, and cooling response remained normal.
The spare-room blower stayed clear, while film in the drain tray held the damp smell after long idle periods.
The shared outdoor unit supported all three rooms normally, so the cleaning decisions stayed with the individual indoor units.

What we found

We found three different conditions behind three similar casings. Embedded buildup restricted the living-room fan coil even though its filter was clean. The main bedroom needed routine servicing only. Film in the spare-room drain tray explained the smell without justifying dismantling. A whole-flat overhaul would have hidden those differences and added deeper work where the internal condition did not support it.

What fixed it

We recommended a dismantling and chemical overhaul for the living-room unit, routine servicing for the main bedroom, and targeted drain-tray cleaning for the spare room. Each line item named the condition behind it. The handover record kept the room labels, before-and-after observations, and work deliberately left outside the scope, so the next inspection could compare like with like.

Outcome

After the work, living-room airflow was even, the spare-room startup smell had cleared, and the main bedroom remained normal. The handover record explained all three scopes for future servicing decisions.

What this case teaches us

A three-unit system can still need three different cleaning scopes

Compare the blower, coil, drain tray, airflow, and odour in every room. Matching casings do not prove matching internal condition.
Ask the report to match one cleaning depth to each fan coil and show the observation behind that choice.
The handover report should distinguish necessary work from preventive work and record why each room received a different scope.

Questions this case answers

Do all my aircon units need a chemical overhaul at the same time?

No. Three fan coils in this flat sat behind matching casings and were in three different conditions. One had compacted buildup across the blower, one carried only light surface dust, and one had film in the drain tray. Each needed a different cleaning depth, and only one justified dismantling.

Why does one room smell damp when the aircon starts?

A damp startup smell can come from the drain tray rather than the coil. In the spare room here the blower stayed clear, but film in the tray held the odour after long idle periods. That distinction matters, because cleaning a tray is a far lighter job than opening up the unit.

My filter looks clean, so does the unit still need servicing?

A clean filter only tells you about the filter. The living-room unit here had a clean one, and compacted buildup still sat across the blower and behind the coil face, where no filter check reaches. Ask for the blower and inner coil to be shown before the cleaning depth is agreed.

What should a landlord get in writing before a tenancy handover?

Ask for the cleaning depth chosen for each room and the observation behind it. The record here kept the room labels, before-and-after notes, and the reason each unit received a different scope. It also separated necessary work from preventive work, which makes the next servicing decision straightforward.

Ready to get started?

Tell us what’s going on. Symptoms, setup, photos, anything we should know. We’ll assess and come back with the right next step.

WhatsApp us