What should a tenant do if there is a problem with a window guard or if the owner will not provide and install a
window guard?
If there is a problem with a window guard, the tenant should notify in writing the owner of the building or of the
apartment or the person who is in charge of maintenance. If the apartment is in a condominium, cooperative or
mutual housing corporation building, the tenant should notify in writing the owner of the apartment or the person in
charge of maintenance of the apartment or, if the problem is with a window in a common area, the tenant should
notify in writing the condominium association or cooperative or mutual housing corporation or the person who is in
charge of the association's maintenance.
A tenant should never remove or tamper with a window guard. A tenant should regularly check window guards to
make sure that they have not become loose or damaged in any way. If there is a problem that the owner or
maintenance person fails or refuses to fix within a reasonable time after being told about it, the tenant can contact
the municipal housing or building department or the Bureau of Housing Inspection of the New Jersey Department of
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N.J.A.C. 5:10-27, Appx. 27B
Community Affairs at (609) 633-6216. The tenant should contact the Bureau of Housing Inspection if the owner fails
or refuses to provide and install a window guard after receiving a written request from the tenant.
How much can a tenant be required to pay for installation of a window guard?
By law, the owner of an apartment can charge a tenant no more than twenty dollars ($ 20.00) for each window
guard that the tenant asks in writing to have installed in the tenant's apartment.
How can a tenant get window guards removed?