In collaboration with Climatiza, Limpieza de Ductos Panamá and Limpieza de Ductería. Radar Panamá works with these companies, and the analysis follows the same editorial standards. How we work
Last verified: 21 October 2026. Every fact links to its official source.
Contents of this guide
Who pays for central air in a rented office: what the law says and what the lease decides
Who pays for air conditioning maintenance in a rented office in Panama depends on which equipment is involved and on what the parties signed. Law 93 of 1973 covers leases of property used as housing, commercial premises and professional use (article 1), which makes it the closest rule for a law firm. The text reviewed is the one published in Gaceta Oficial 17456, which has been amended since; which regime applies to a given lease is for a lawyer to confirm.
| Situation | Who is responsible under the rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Office installations that stop serving the agreed use | The landlord makes the necessary repairs, and the cost of those duties falls on the owner. | Arts. 28 (no. 2) and 29, Law 93 |
| Deterioration caused by the tenant’s fault or negligence | The tenant is liable and pays for the repair. | Arts. 30 (no. 4) and 32 (no. 3), Law 93 |
| Central system of a horizontal property building | The owners, through the common expense fee set in the Co-ownership Regulations. The fee attaches to the property, whoever owns it. | Arts. 23 and 25, Law 284 |
| Common property for the exclusive use of one or several owners | Those owners cover maintenance, repair and conservation, if the Assembly approved it with 51% or more of the units. | Art. 19, Law 284 |
| Damage to common property caused by the firm’s staff or visitors | Whoever occupies the unit under any title is liable, without prejudice to the owner’s joint liability. | Art. 29, Law 284 |
| Installing own equipment or changing partitions or structures | Requires the landlord’s prior and express consent. | Art. 33, Law 93 |
That leaves one open question that only the lease can settle: whether central air counts as an installation of the premises, which the landlord must maintain, or as a building service passed on to the tenant through a fee. The law does not say. The lease should name it.
What to check in the lease before signing or renewing
The lease should state in writing which air conditioning equipment exists, who maintains it and who pays for each item. Law 93 requires the lease to be in writing and to state, among other details, the use of the property and the amount of rent (article 5). For an office, these points are worth adding:
- Identify the equipment. Whether the air is the building’s central system, a unit dedicated to the floor, or the firm’s own equipment (split, fan coil, condenser), with brand, model and location.
- Fix the supply hours. Which days and hours the building provides central air, and what happens if the firm works outside them. The law does not regulate this.
- Clarify the fee. What the maintenance or common expense fee passed on to the tenant covers, and whether there is a separate charge for air.
- Split maintenance of own equipment. Who hires it, how often, what report is left and who approves major parts.
- Plan for a breakdown. Who is notified, by what means and how fast. The law requires the tenant to tell the landlord of any damage to the property as soon as possible (article 32, no. 4).
- Regulate improvements. Permission to install or move equipment and who removes it on exit.
- Document the handover. The tenant must return the property in the condition received, apart from ordinary wear from use and time (article 32, no. 7); an equipment inventory with photos at move-in avoids disputes.
The same points apply to anyone looking for central air conditioning in an office in Obarrio, Costa del Este or the Área Bancaria: what changes between towers is each building’s regulations, not the logic of the lease.
What maintenance falls to the tenant
The tenant is responsible for looking after what the firm operates itself and for any deterioration it causes, while the central system is maintained by whoever the lease and building rules designate. The ASHRAE preventive maintenance checklist is a voluntary technical reference written for building operations staff; it is not a legal requirement in Panama or a contract. It shows what is inspected and how often on equipment the firm owns:
| Frequency | Task per the ASHRAE checklist | What it prevents |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | Read filter pressure drop and replace any filter above the maximum in the manual. | Reduced airflow and an office that cools poorly |
| Monthly | Check filters for tears and gaps where air could pass unfiltered. | Dust on coils and grilles |
| Monthly | Inspect drain pans and condensate drains for standing water, biological growth, sediment or rust; clear traps. | Dripping, ceiling stains and damp smell |
| Monthly | Visually check diffusers and return grilles for dust buildup. | Poor air distribution |
When equipment fails, the usual causes are well known: the ASHRAE checklist itself states that most indoor air quality problems in operating buildings are operations and maintenance failures, such as clogged or bypassed filters, fouled coils and blocked condensate drains. Radar’s guide on what to check when an office air conditioner stops cooling turns that list into symptoms, and the one on damp smell in the office covers the drain case. For equipment the firm installed, a maintenance contract is how to fix frequency and reporting; the guide to the maintenance contract for businesses details its clauses.
What the building administrator handles
In a tower or horizontal property building, the shared system is run by the Board of Directors and executed by the administrator out of the common expense budget, not by the tenant. Law 284 requires each owner to contribute to the costs of administration, conservation, maintenance, operation and repair of common property according to their share (article 25). The tenant is not an owner: typically the tenant pays that fee to the owner as the lease provides, and the building bills it to the unit.
There is a practical risk few tenants check. When an owner stops paying the fee, the law allows suspending, after two months, the use of recreational common areas and the common services whose supply requires fee contributions, except water (article 28, no. 3). The rule does not mention central air, so whether it is among those services depends on the building’s regulations. That is why it is worth asking whether the unit is current. The guide on air conditioning maintenance in PH buildings explains who approves the common-area contract and what it should cover.
If the air fails: how to keep a record
When air conditioning fails in a rented office, the most useful move is to notify in writing the same day and keep evidence, because the law asks the tenant to report damage to the landlord as soon as possible. The ASHRAE checklist gives a record model: date, technician’s initials and result for each task, a corrective action when something fails, and photos and readings attached to the building manual.
- Note date, time and symptom: not cooling, dripping, smelling, noisy, shutting off.
- Take photos or video of the grille, the leak or the thermostat.
- Notify in writing (email or letter) the administration and the landlord, with the photos attached, and keep the receipt.
- Check the lease to see whether the equipment belongs to the building, the owner or the firm; that decides who the repair request goes to.
- Ask for a written technical report with the findings and cause, and file it with the photos.
- Record the closing: what was repaired, who approved parts and when.
Duct cleaning in offices and law firms in Panama: when it is due and who pays
Duct cleaning in offices and law firms in Panama is justified by a specific cause, not by a calendar, and who pays depends on whether the duct serves only the premises or is part of the building’s system. The EPA guide on ducts is written for homes, but its criteria work as a reference: it considers cleaning when there is substantial visible mold inside hard-surface ducts, a rodent or insect infestation, or ducts clogged with excessive dust and debris or with particles coming out of the supply registers. It asks to fix the underlying cause, such as moisture, first, and notes that duct cleaning has never been shown to prevent health problems, so it does not recommend it as routine (EPA, Should you have the air ducts in your home cleaned?).
Law 93 does not mention ducts. Whether a section belongs to the firm or to the shared system is set by the lease and, in a PH, by the building’s regulations, and it is worth recording the permission to open access points and who notifies the administration. Radar’s guide on when to clean ducts expands on the criteria.
Climatiza Panamá describes on its duct cleaning page a prior camera run that documents the initial condition of duct sections, grilles and air handler, work by sectors at an agreed time and a report with before and after photos and video. Its camera inspection page says the report belongs to the client and the quote comes after the inspection, and the towers and offices page is the entry point for that sector. The duct page also warns that if the source is a water leak in the building, cleaning does not fix it.
Myths and facts
- Myth: central air is always paid by the building owner. Fact: the law sets general rules, but a lease can pass part of the cost to the tenant through fees; it has to be read.
- Myth: the leasing law regulates air conditioning hours. Fact: Law 93 says nothing about climate control hours; whatever is not in the lease has no written backing.
- Myth: installing a split unit is up to the tenant. Fact: changing partitions or structures needs the landlord’s prior and express permission (article 33).
- Myth: if the building pays for common air, the tenant has nothing to maintain. Fact: own equipment and damage from misuse are paid by whoever operates or causes them.
- Myth: a cheaper informal technician equals a service with a report. Fact: without a report or log there is no evidence to claim from the landlord or the administration.
- Myth: if the air is cold, there is nothing to check. Fact: filters, coils and drains degrade before the unit stops cooling.
On its maintenance page, Climatiza Panamá describes contracts with scheduled preventive visits and a written report per visit, and a Básico level aimed at offices. The first step is an asset survey with the equipment inventory, location and condition.
According to that same page, Climatiza can service equipment installed by other providers and document its initial condition, and different levels can be contracted per site under one contract. For a firm with several offices, that initial inventory is the same document the first point of the lease list asks for.
Where the service is provided
Climatiza Panamá serves offices in Panama City, with its own pages for twelve business and residential zones linked below, plus the metropolitan area and the beaches. The full list, 54 zones grouped by district, is on Climatiza’s zones page, which states that it lists places that could be covered rather than zones always served: availability is confirmed by contacting with the address and type of place. Anyone looking for air conditioning maintenance for an office in San Francisco, Obarrio, Punta Pacífica or Costa del Este will find the zone below.
Panama District: central and bay corregimientos
San Felipe, San Francisco, Bella Vista, Betania, Pueblo Nuevo, Río Abajo, Parque Lefevre, Juan Díaz, Pedregal and Ancón.
Panama District: neighborhoods, avenues and developments
Costa del Este, Punta Pacífica, Obarrio, Marbella, Paitilla, Punta Paitilla, El Cangrejo, Área Bancaria, Calle 50, Vía España, Vía Argentina, Avenida Balboa, Casco Antiguo, Santa María, Coco del Mar, El Carmen, Hato Pintado, Chanis, Costa Sur, Villa Lucre, Albrook, Clayton and Amador.
Panama District: northern and eastern corregimientos
Las Cumbres, Alcalde Díaz, Chilibre, Tocumen, Don Bosco, 24 de Diciembre and Las Mañanitas.
San Miguelito and its border with Panama
San Miguelito, Brisas del Golf and Condado del Rey.
Panamá Oeste: from Arraiján to the beaches
Arraiján, Howard, Panamá Pacífico, La Chorrera, Capira, Chame, Coronado, Gorgona and San Carlos.
Colón
Colón and Zona Libre de Colón.
Frequently asked questions
Who should pay for central air maintenance in a rented office?
It depends on the lease and the building’s regulations. Law 93 of 1973 makes the landlord responsible for the repairs needed to keep the property and its installations fit for use, while in a PH the shared system is paid from common expense fees under Law 284, article 25.
What should an office lease say about air conditioning?
It should identify the equipment, the supply hours, the fee passed on to the tenant, who maintains own equipment and how a breakdown is reported. Law 93 requires a written lease stating the use of the property (article 5) but does not regulate hours or air fees.
How can I tell whether my air conditioning provider is reliable?
An orderly provider starts with an equipment inventory, details what it does at each visit, delivers a written report and asks for approval before replacing major parts. It is worth requesting those four points in writing from every bidder before quotes.
When is duct cleaning due in offices and law firms in Panama, and who pays?
It is due when there is a specific cause, such as visible mold, pests or ducts with excessive dust and debris, under the EPA criteria for homes; a camera inspection first is advisable. Who pays depends on whether the duct belongs to the premises or the shared system, as set by the lease and the building regulations.
Is office air conditioning serviced in Obarrio, Costa del Este or the Área Bancaria?
Climatiza Panamá has its own maintenance pages for Obarrio, Costa del Este, Área Bancaria and nine other zones, and its zones page lists 54 places. Availability is confirmed by contacting with the address and type of place.
Related articles
- Air conditioning maintenance contract for businesses in Panama
- Office air conditioning not cooling: what to check
- Office air conditioning smells damp: causes
- Air conditioning maintenance in horizontal property buildings
- Horizontal property in Panama: how a PH works
- Air conditioning duct cleaning in Panama: when and how to check
Law firms and rented offices in Panama can turn to Climatiza Panamá for air conditioning maintenance and duct cleaning.
Sources
Checked on 21 October 2026. Official sources are in Spanish. Law 284 is a scanned PDF of Gaceta Oficial 29476-C; the articles cited were transcribed from that document. This text is general information and does not replace advice from a licensed lawyer in Panama. The Civil Code is not cited because its official text could not be opened.
- Law 93 of October 4, 1973, Gaceta Oficial 17456 (Judicial Branch).
- Law 284 of February 14, 2022, Gaceta Oficial 29476-C (Legispan, National Assembly).
- ASHRAE, Indoor Air Quality: A Preventive Maintenance Checklist for Facility Operators.
- U.S. Department of Energy (FEMP), O&M Best Practices Guide and its official page.
- EPA and NIOSH, Building Air Quality: A Guide for Building Owners and Facility Managers.
- EPA, Should You Have the Air Ducts in Your Home Cleaned?.
- Climatiza Panamá, air conditioning maintenance.
- Climatiza Panamá, duct cleaning, camera inspection and towers and offices.
- Climatiza Panamá, service zones.
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