Hastings and Bexhill sit side by side on the East Sussex coast, but Hastings is its own borough while Bexhill is in Rother District. Both have homes and businesses that face the sea and a good number of conservation areas. So the two questions that shape most quotes here are: how do we protect the outdoor unit from salt, and where can it go?
Price guide
| What | Price + VAT |
|---|---|
| One room | £1,200–£2,200 |
| Two rooms (multi-split) | £2,800–£4,500 |
| Three to five rooms | £4,500–£8,500 |
| Annual service | £95–£150 |
| Repair diagnosis | from £75 |
Installation includes the equipment, fitting, commissioning and F-Gas documentation. Shops, cafés and offices are priced after a survey.
Protecting outdoor units from salt
Salt carried on sea air settles on the outdoor coil and casing. Over time it can corrode the fins and fixings, cut efficiency and shorten the life of the unit. On a property near the front we:
- look for a position away from direct onshore wind and spray, such as a rear yard or side passage;
- check whether the model you choose comes with a coated coil or coastal version, and show any extra cost;
- use suitable brackets and fixings for an exposed site;
- recommend a service at least once a year that includes washing the coil.
Our coastal air conditioning guide explains each step.
Hastings and St Leonards conservation areas
Hastings Borough Council lists 18 conservation areas. They include the Old Town, Burtons’ St Leonards, Warrior Square, Eversfield Place, Grosvenor Gardens and the Town Centre. If your home is in one, an outdoor unit facing a road isn’t covered by permitted development, so we look to the back or a hidden flat roof. Listed buildings need listed building consent.
If your home is a flat in a shared building, you’ll need consent from the building owner or management company, and the permitted development limit for flats is smaller (0.6 m³). See our leasehold consent guide. This is general information, not legal advice.
Want it done properly? AirCon Doctor installs, repairs and services air conditioning and heat pumps across London and the South East, from our base in East Grinstead. We’re an F-Gas certified company and NICEIC approved. Get a fixed-price quote.
Cafés, shops and holiday lets
Seaside businesses often want cooling for a shop floor, a café or a holiday let. Each is priced after a survey. For a café, we site the indoor unit away from cooking fumes and plan the condensate route; for a holiday let, simple controls and a quick filter check at changeovers help. Our holiday let guide has more. Business installations pay standard-rate VAT.
Bexhill
Rother District Council has 10 conservation areas, two of them in Bexhill: Bexhill Old Town and Bexhill Town Centre. Away from those, most houses fall under the national rules. Bexhill homes near the front still need the salt air approach above.
What the national rules say
According to the Planning Portal, a house can usually take an air source heat pump without a planning application when the outdoor unit is 1.5 m³ or less, meets MCS 020(a), isn’t used only for cooling, isn’t on a pitched roof and isn’t in the grounds of a listed building. Air-to-air heat pumps are included since 2025. An Article 4 direction can remove these rights. A cooling-only unit isn’t covered, so ask the council.
Grants and VAT
For homes replacing gas or oil heating, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives £2,500 towards an air-to-air heat pump that meets the full heating demand, or £7,500 for air-to-water. It doesn’t cover a unit added alongside a boiler, and the installer must be MCS certified. We are, and we apply for you.
VAT on qualifying heat pumps in homes is 0% until 31 March 2027 and 5% after, under HMRC Notice 708/6. We confirm the VAT on your quote. Holiday lets run as businesses, cafés and shops pay the standard rate. This is general guidance, not tax advice.
Local pages: Hastings and Bexhill-on-Sea.
Quick answers
Will salt air void the warranty?
Warranty terms are the manufacturer’s, and some say how units should be sited and maintained. We explain the terms for your chosen brand on the quote.
Can an outdoor unit go on the front of a St Leonards house?
Not under permitted development if the house is in a conservation area and the wall faces a road. We look for a rear or hidden position.
Which council handles Bexhill?
Rother District Council. Hastings and St Leonards are Hastings Borough Council.
Do you fit air conditioning in seafront flats?
Yes, once the building owner or management company has given consent for the outdoor unit and pipe route.
Related services
More advice
- Coastal Air Conditioning: Protecting Units From Salt Air
- Air Conditioning in a Leasehold Flat: Getting Consent
- Air Conditioning Cost in Lewes and Eastbourne: 2026 Price Guide
- Air Conditioning for Holiday Lets and Airbnb Properties
- All advice
This guide is general information, checked against the sources linked on 30 October 2026. It isn’t legal, tax or financial advice. Rules, grants and product ranges change, so check the current position before you rely on it.