You can feel it, the first hints of spring are coming to the Northeast and in no time at all it’ll be summer and hot! You have small children living in your house or apartment, love the safety of window guards but need to keep your residence cool through the blistering heat of a NYC summer. How can you have the best of both worlds? We’ll tell you!
You should always have at least two ways to exit your home or apartment in the event of a fire or an emergency, typically the front door being one exit and a window, balcony/terrace or fire escape as the second mode of egress. An air conditioning unit placed in a window not used as an emergency exit is perfect. If your window air conditioning unit is permanently installed there should be no risk of a child or adult falling from the window.
Stringent rules for NYCHA residents
NYCHA currently installs window guards in all windows, including those leading to a balcony or terrace at no cost to the resident. Only windows that provide access to fire escapes and windows that serve as a secondary exit in a first-floor apartment are the exceptions to this rule.
If a full set of windows guards aren’t installed in your apartment, please contact the Customer Contact Center at (718) 707-7771 immediately. Upon receipt of your call, we will install window guards in any windows that do not have them.
According to all NYCHA Lease Agreement’s, residents must cooperate and assist the NYCHA to comply with New York City window guard laws concerning their installation and maintenance. In addition, the Annual Window Guard Survey must be completed by all residents and occupants. If according to the completed survey children 10 years old or younger occupy, reside or frequent the residence, window guards must be installed by law and you cannot refuse them.
Residents and occupants who fail to comply may be subject to penalties and/or termination or tenancy.
NYCHA residents using air conditioners in place of window guards
Air conditioners can be an acceptable alternative to window guards if they are properly and permanently installed and cannot be removed seasonally. You must complete a form, have it executed by the Housing Manager or their designee, and notify NYCHA within three days after installation. All air conditioners are to be installed at the tenant’s expense. There are further stipulations as to the exact method of installation, they can be found here:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/residents/air-conditioners-window-guards-notice.shtml
If at any time during an inspection it is deemed that your air conditioning unit is unsafe and presents a danger to others for any reason, it will be removed immediately and a window guard installed in its place.
Additionally, if you should remove any air conditioner a maintenance worker must be present and scheduled during normal business hours so that they may install window guards immediately after the units removal.
For more information, please follow this link- http://www.nyc.gov
