Every summer, millions of renters across Europe face the same problem: sweltering heat and no way to install air conditioning. Landlords won’t allow it. Leases prohibit drilling. The external parts of buildings are protected by planning regulations. So what do you do when it’s 35°C in your flat and you can’t touch the walls?
Split systems are costly, require permits and professional installation and are therefore completely impractical for renters.
The good news is that air conditioning technology has finally caught up with the reality of renting in Europe. Here’s what you need to know.
First, traditional portables are inefficient, far too noisy, heavy, awkward, and difficult to move from room to room.
Why Traditional Portable Air Conditioners Don’t Work in Rental Flats
Most portable air conditioners available in Europe still require a window kit or an exhaust hose to expel hot air outside. In a rental property, this typically means:
- You need to drill or cut a hole in the wall, window frame, or door which most leases explicitly prohibit;
- Window kits to attach the exhaust pipe are awkward to fit and leave gaps that let in insects and compromise security;
- Many older European buildings have windows that can’t accommodate standard exhaust pipe window kits.
Traditional portable ACs are also notoriously inefficient. First, they are hardly portable as they weigh 30 – 40 kg. They cool a whole room by recycling large volumes of air, consuming 1,000 – 2,000 Watts electricity in the process. They are noisy making conversation difficult and sleep impossible. Even then, they only provide 3 or 4 degrees of cooling at best because they are so inefficient. They need an awkward exhaust pipe that can be fiddly to attach to a window. For renters who are already paying high energy bills, that’s not a very practical solution.
Even though traditional portable aircons are marketed as a room cooling solution, they cannot meet reasonable requirements.
What about a window air conditioner?
So, since a split system is impractical for renters, and a traditional portable air conditioner cannot meet the need, what about an old-fashioned window air-conditioner? They can be a cheap solution, but there’s a catch.
These machines evolved in America where vertical sliding windows are common. Windows like these are much less common in Europe. Most European windows simply will not work with a window aircon.
Even if your apartment has a suitable sliding window, the next problem you will face is noise, both indoors and outdoors. European countries have strict noise regulations, particularly at night, and most window air conditioners emit too much noise on the outside. Many are rather noisy indoors as well.
You may still need a permit to install one, even planning permission in some districts.
Next, a window air conditioner is a heavy machine and will almost certainly need a steel frame to be fitted outside the window to support the weight. These are unsightly and costly to install, particularly in a high-rise building.
Finally, if the room is large and the recommended model consumes more than 1,000 Watts, the wiring of the electrical circuits in the apartment may need an upgrade which will be an expensive and time-consuming operation.What to Look for in a No-Installation Air Conditioner
The ideal air conditioner for a rental flat in Europe should meet these criteria:
- No permanent installation — no drilling, no window kits, no exhaust hoses
- Compact enough to move between rooms and store easily
- Energy efficient — ideally under 70 watts to avoid bill shock
- Quiet enough to sleep next to
- Ships to your country and uses a standard EU plug
The Ideal No-Installation Air Conditioner
The ideal air conditioner for a rental flat in Europe should meet these criteria:
- No permanent installation and no drilling, no window kits, no exhaust hoses
- Compact enough to move between rooms and store easily
- Energy efficient ideally under 500 Watts to avoid bill shock
- Quiet enough to sleep next to
- Ships to your door
A new category of air conditioner has emerged in recent years: the personal portable AC. Rather than cooling an entire room (which requires enormous energy), a personal air conditioner cools the air directly around your body. This is the same principle that makes a gentle breeze feel so refreshing. Moving cool air across your skin can be far more effective than lowering the ambient temperature of a whole room.
The Coolzy uses this principle. It draws in warm room air, cools it using a small internal ice-free cooling unit, and delivers it at around 10°C below room temperature directly to where you’re sitting or sleeping. The result is genuine cooling comfort without wasting most of the electricity cooling your walls. Coolzy works fine without an exhaust pipe in most situations. Best of all, you avoid horrific electricity bills because Coolzy uses only 340 Watts.
Why Coolzy is the Right Choice for European Renters
Coolzy was designed specifically for people who can’t or don’t want to install a fixed air conditioning system. It has no exhaust hose, no window kit, and no requirement to modify your home in any way. You take it out of the box, plug it in to a standard European 220V socket, and it’s working within seconds. (Yes, we do supply an optional exhaust pipe, the Tubo Max, if you feel you need one.)
Key features that matter for renters:
- It is ready to use out of the box with no installation;
- There is nothing requiring the landlord’s permission;
- Only 340 Watts power consumption, so the running cost will be far less than conventional ACs;
- Ships from the Netherlands with free delivery across the EU and UK (note that UK import tax will be applied);
- Quiet operation like a desk fan so it is ideal for sleeping
- Compact and easily portable: easy to move from the living room to the bedroom in seconds; and
- 2-year EU warranty included
Commonly Asked Questions
Commonly Asked Questions
Can I use a portable air conditioner without a window in Europe?
Yes. Personal portable air conditioners like Coolzy require no window access and no exhaust hose. In a small room, the warm air from the back will need to be removed: see this article to explain how that can easily be arranged.
Will my landlord allow a portable air conditioner?
In almost all cases, yes. Because Coolzy requires no installation, no drilling, and no modification to the property, it falls into the same category as a fan or a desk lamp. Always check your lease, but a no-installation appliance is far less likely to cause issues than any window-mounted or fixed system.
How much does it cost to run a portable air conditioner in Europe?
A conventional portable AC uses 1,000–2,400 Watts. Even the least powerful aircon, used for 10 hours daily with the average European electricity rates, costs 100 – 130 € every month. Coolzy uses only 340 watts so the running cost is one third, around 35 € monthly.
Does Coolzy cool as effectively as a standard air conditioner?
Coolzy gently cools the air around you, not the whole room. Most users find this more effective for comfort because the cool air is delivered exactly where they need it, on your face and upper body where you are most sensitive to heat.
Coolzy is the ideal companion for renters coping with a warming European climate.