B.J. from Fairfax County, Virginia writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
Every year COA forces dryer vent cleaning. Due to COVID -19, I cannot let anybody into my unit. The dryer has not been used last year at all. I would like to know do they have any right to force us for dryer vent cleaning and come into our unit every year?
Mister Condo replies:
B.J., yes, the association has the right to require dryer vent cleaning. Whether you use it or not, the association is making sure that there are no fire hazards being created by you or any of your fellow unit owners from lint build-up in the vents. While it may not make sense to you, it is the only way the Board can mitigate the liability and perform a best practice by keeping the community safe and potential insurance losses down. Think of it this way, if you had used your dryer, as I am sure 99.9% of your fellow condo dwellers are doing, you want the peace of mind knowing that their dryer vents had been cleaned. The only way that can be done is to require all dryer vents be cleaned at regular intervals. All the best!