[vladvasiliu]

> legislation/landlords preventing installation

Don't know about "Europe", but here in France this is the main reason. Even if you live in an apartment you own, you have to fight multiple bureaucracies (city / HOA) to be allowed to install a split AC. Detached houses tend to fare better, but, even there, you should make sure you don't step over some arcane permit-requiring line.

The result is people adapt how they can, usually buying portable ACs that have terrible efficiency, so the whole "AC's are bad 'cause they consume a lot of electricity" consideration goes out the window. See how these are sold-out everywhere and people are fighting over the units when available.

Bonus points for not being able to run it at night if your windows aren't at a certain height above street level, because no one in their right mind would sleep with a street-level window open.