Mitsubishi or Daikin? The HVAC Brands in New NYC Condos
Short answer: Of NYC condo plans that name a heat pump maker, 51% name Mitsubishi Electric and 26% name Daikin. The system decides which: Mitsubishi dominates split systems, the one-condenser-per-apartment setup of small buildings, and Daikin leads VRF in bigger ones. Price doesn't change the brand above $1,000 a square foot; below it, 43% of plans name neither one.
Two Makers, at Every Price
A buyer paying $2,000 a square foot gets the same heat pump brand as a buyer in a mid-market building. In the 31 plans asking $2,000/sf or more that name a maker, 55% name Mitsubishi and 26% name Daikin, about the same split as the whole market. The brand doesn't change until the bottom: in plans asking under $1,000/sf, 43% name neither maker, and 29% name LG, Gree, Fujitsu or Samsung. Above $1,000/sf that "other maker" share is 20%.
What decides Mitsubishi or Daikin is the system. Mitsubishi owns split systems, the one-condenser-per-apartment setup of small buildings. Daikin leads VRF, the larger shared-refrigerant systems in bigger buildings. Pick the system and you've mostly picked the brand.
We read the heating and cooling description in 1,686 NYC condo offering plans. 311 of them (18%) name the maker:
- Mitsubishi Electric: 51% (158 plans)
- Daikin: 26% (82 plans)
- Everyone else: 23%, led by LG (8%), Fujitsu (6%) and Gree (4%)
| Mitsubishi | 158 |
|---|---|
| Daikin | 82 |
| LG | 24 |
| Fujitsu | 20 |
| Gree | 12 |
| ClimateMaster | 6 |
| Samsung | 4 |
Number of plans whose heating and cooling description names each maker, of 311 that name one. A plan naming two makers counts for both.
Mitsubishi Leads Split Systems, Daikin Leads VRF
The brands split cleanly by system type:
- Split systems: 63% of the 186 split-system plans that name a maker name Mitsubishi, against 17% for Daikin. A split system pairs an outdoor condenser with one or more indoor units, usually one set per apartment.
- VRF: 52% of the 95 VRF plans name Daikin, against 33% for Mitsubishi. VRF runs refrigerant from larger condensers to units in each room, with zones you set room by room. Daikin brands its version VRV; Mitsubishi's is City Multi.
| System | Plans naming a maker | Mitsubishi | Daikin | Another maker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Split system | 186 | 63% | 17% | 20% |
| VRF | 95 | 33% | 52% | 16% |
| Ducted or water-source heat pump | 24 | 38% | 8% | 54% |
NYC condo offering plans whose heating and cooling description names the equipment maker, by the system it describes. A plan whose system description names two makers counts for both. A dash: fewer than 10 plans.
Daikin VRF shows up in large buildings like The Brooklyn Grove and One Boerum in Downtown Brooklyn, Bergen in Boerum Hill and Galerie in Long Island City. Mitsubishi shows up across sizes, from The Edison Gramercy and 842 Sixth Avenue in Manhattan to 600 & 610 DeKalb Avenue in Brooklyn and Vesta in Long Island City.
How the systems differ for owners (who pays to run the compressor, what breaks when it fails) is in how new NYC condos heat and cool.
Small Buildings Pick Mitsubishi, Big Ones Spread Out
Because split systems dominate small buildings, so does Mitsubishi. In buildings with 10 or fewer units, 56% of the 222 plans that name a maker name Mitsubishi and 23% name Daikin.
In buildings with more than 30 units, the order flips: 40% of 40 name Daikin and 23% name Mitsubishi. Bigger buildings also use the other makers more (38%), such as LG at 720 West End Avenue and Moon 27 in Long Island City.
| Building size | Plans naming a maker | Mitsubishi | Daikin | Another maker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 11 units | 222 | 56% | 23% | 21% |
| 11–30 units | 46 | 50% | 30% | 20% |
| 31 units or more | 40 | 23% | 40% | 38% |
By the number of residential units in the plan. A plan whose system description names two makers counts for both. A dash: fewer than 10 plans.
By Borough
Brooklyn accounts for 73% of the plans that name a maker, mostly small new buildings with split systems, so it sets the overall picture: 55% Mitsubishi and 26% Daikin. Manhattan looks similar, at 47% and 22%.
Queens is the exception. Of its 29 plans that name a maker, 24% name Mitsubishi, 34% name Daikin and 41% name another maker. More of the Queens plans use VRF (45%, against 31% of all the plans that name a maker), and VRF is where Daikin leads.
| Borough | Plans naming a maker | Mitsubishi | Daikin | Another maker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn | 227 | 55% | 26% | 19% |
| Manhattan | 55 | 47% | 22% | 31% |
| Queens | 29 | 24% | 34% | 41% |
By the borough of the building. A plan whose system description names two makers counts for both. A dash: fewer than 10 plans.
The Trend Over Time
Mitsubishi's lead grew with the small-building boom, where split systems replaced through-the-wall units and boilers. Before 2018, 32% of the 41 plans that name a maker named Mitsubishi and 27% named Daikin. Among the 201 filed since 2021, it's 55% and 26%.
| Year the plan was filed | Plans naming a maker | Mitsubishi | Daikin | Another maker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before 2018 | 41 | 32% | 27% | 41% |
| 2018–2020 | 69 | 49% | 28% | 23% |
| 2021–2023 | 107 | 56% | 24% | 20% |
| 2024 or later | 94 | 54% | 28% | 18% |
By the year the plan was first filed (plans from 2001 on). A plan whose system description names two makers counts for both. A dash: fewer than 10 plans.
Does the Brand Track the Price?
Only at the bottom. Among plans with a sponsor price list, the median asking price is about $1,330 per square foot in buildings that name Mitsubishi and $1,420 in buildings that name Daikin. At the top of the market, in the 31 plans asking $2,000 or more per square foot, 55% name Mitsubishi and 26% name Daikin, close to the split across all the plans that name a maker. Below $1,000/sf, 43% of the 35 plans name neither Mitsubishi nor Daikin.
| Sponsor's asking price | Plans naming a maker | Mitsubishi | Daikin | Another maker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $1,000/sf | 35 | 37% | 20% | 43% |
| $1,000–$1,499/sf | 131 | 47% | 31% | 22% |
| $1,500–$1,999/sf | 64 | 48% | 34% | 17% |
| $2,000/sf or more | 31 | 55% | 26% | 19% |
Plans with a Schedule A price list (261 of them), by the sponsor's average asking price per square foot as filed, not adjusted for inflation. A plan whose system description names two makers counts for both. A dash: fewer than 10 plans.
Above $1,000/sf, developers at every price point use both. The brand mostly follows the system type and the size of the building, not the price of the apartments. For comfort, how the system is laid out (how many zones, wall-mounted heads or ducted units in the ceiling, where the condensers sit) tells you more than the logo.
What to Check Before You Buy
- "Or approved equal." Some plans add these words (23 of the system descriptions that name a maker), which let the sponsor substitute an equivalent. Offering plans also generally reserve the sponsor's right to substitute equipment of equal or better quality. The brand in the plan is a description, not a guarantee. If it matters to you, ask what was actually installed.
- The system type matters more than the logo. Split system or VRF, your own condenser or a shared one: that decides who pays for electricity and repairs. See how new NYC condos heat and cool and who pays which utilities.
- Warranty. The equipment warranty usually runs through the installer and the sponsor. Check the plan's warranty section and the new construction warranty guide.
- Where the condenser sits. A roof or balcony condenser can be noisy, and it may sit on space you don't own. The floor plans and the engineer's report show where.
Search "Mitsubishi heat pump" or "Daikin VRF" on The Condo Book Project to find buildings that name each brand.
FAQ
Is Mitsubishi or Daikin more common in NYC condos?
Mitsubishi. Of the NYC condo offering plans that name a heat pump maker, 51% name Mitsubishi and 26% name Daikin.
Is Daikin or Mitsubishi better?
NYC developers use both at every price level. In the plans, Mitsubishi leads in split systems (63%) and Daikin leads in VRF systems (52%). The system type and how it's installed matter more to owners than the brand.
What HVAC brand do luxury NYC condos use?
The same ones as everyone else. In plans asking $2,000 or more per square foot, 55% name Mitsubishi and 26% name Daikin. The cheaper brands (LG, Gree, Fujitsu, Samsung) show up mostly in plans asking under $1,000/sf.
What does "or approved equal" mean in an offering plan?
That the sponsor can install a different brand of similar quality instead. The named brand describes the intended equipment, not a promise.
What is the difference between VRF and VRV?
Nothing for an owner. VRV (variable refrigerant volume) is Daikin's name for the system type everyone else calls VRF.
How many NYC condo plans name the HVAC brand?
About 18%: 311 of the 1,686 plans whose heating and cooling description we read.
Where this comes from: the heating and cooling description in NYC condo offering plans, from the engineer's report or the description of the property, read for 1,686 plans in the five boroughs; a plan counts for a brand when that description names it. Asking prices per square foot are from the plans' Schedule A price lists, as filed. Brands, models and installations can change by amendment and during construction. Updated October 2026.
Related: How New NYC Condos Heat and Cool · Queens Condo Submarkets: LIC, Astoria, Flushing and More