Landlord Question and Answer Forum

My tenants want me to replace the windows in my rental because their heating bill is extremely high. They keep the thermostat on 72. I had the furnace inspected and it’s working fine and is capable of heating the house to the required 70 degrees. I also had someone put plastic sheeting over all the windows, but now they’re complaining that they don’t like the way it looks and they can’t get to the blinds, so they want all of the windows replaced. Most of the windows are single pane, wooden windows, and they are drafty, but have been caulked & weather stripped, they open/close and they don’t leak. The other part of the problem is that the house is a 100 year old end unit rowhouse and the exterior wall probably isn’t insulated all that well. Do you think I have to do anything else about the windows? The only thing I can find in the Maryland rental laws is that I have to provide operable, weatherproof, waterproof windows. Is a drafty window considered “weatherproof”?

Hi Jennifer, A drafty window is not weatherproof it is weather resistant. Weatherproof means that the weather what ever it may be can not penetrate it. Think of it like a pair of winter boots. If you buy a pair of waterproof boots you can wear them all day in the snow or rain and your feet wont get wet because of the waterproof material they are made with. If you buy a pair of water resistant boots you can wear them in the snow or rain and after some time your feet will get wet because the elements soaked through the material. At one time your windows were waterproof but over time through use they wore out and are now water resistant.

Posted by Jamie D, PA on Thursday, January 21, 2010

I think in your code laws for your state, you have to keep your house at certain tempertuure like 64 thru the night abd 72 thru the day , at winter time . you have to check it out , I caulked my windows and if worse cam to worse buy new windows and raise the rent

Posted by Donald G, MA on Tuesday, February 2, 2010