Bedrooms in NYC must contain at least two means of egress; one should be via windows.
Jacob Riis’ research documented poor living conditions in New York City’s tenements. This rule can be seen today.
But should every bedroom contain windows, and what are some key considerations homeowners and renovators should keep in mind when renovating?
Natural Light
Nature offers more than aesthetic benefits. Natural lighting enhances overall comfort and can reduce energy use by keeping electric lights off for most of the day, so natural light should be prioritized in any home. With such benefits of daylighting available to us all day, windows have become an essential element to every household. When searching for windows that offer plenty of daylighting areas when selecting new styles for your home. To take full advantage of natural light’s benefits in your own space, position windows strategically throughout your space to take full advantage of this valuable source of illumination.
New York City building code mandates windows in every bedroom to allow natural air and light in. The requirement dates back to 1901 when Jacob Riis published How the Other Half Lives, an expose on cramped living conditions in tenement apartments. A law mandating windows was then passed in order to improve residents’ health while protecting mental wellbeing.
Housing advocates are advocating for loosening of rules requiring bedrooms to feature windows. According to them, this move will allow developers to convert office buildings into apartment units more quickly – helping the current housing crisis by providing more affordable places to sleep.
Many people do not support windowless bedrooms. Many feel it’s inhumane to force people to sleep in dark rooms in an increasingly empty work environment, especially given remote work taking over corporate headquarters and prompting some calls for relaxing window requirements. The debate has even reached national levels due to remote working practices which make window requirements irrelevant in a way.
To maximize the amount of light entering your bedroom, it’s essential that window treatments don’t block out natural sunlight. Furthermore, bulky furniture should be limited by choosing floating shelves or chairs with narrow legs as these will allow more light in. Furthermore, adding mirrors or reflective surfaces can double up on natural lighting in your room.
Ventilation
Ventilation occurs when fresh air enters a space while polluted air leaves it, expel it out or is forced out through cracks in window frames, providing an energy-efficient alternative to mechanical ventilation systems. Bedroom windows can be opened to allow natural ventilation of a room – an energy-saving strategy particularly beneficial in older buildings with sealed window frames or those converted from commercial use; NYC building codes mandate bedrooms be ventilated even without windows; Mayor Eric Adams made an offhand remark at Greene Space interview about “dormitory style accommodations which sparked conversation about changing city laws requiring them.
Energy Efficiency
Your bedroom windows could be one of your greatest sources of energy savings! Windows that offer a high U-factor (which measures how well they block heat) and low solar heat gain coefficient can save energy while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions in your home. An energy-saving coating such as Crystal’s High-Performance Low-E4 glass may save 56% more in summer and 45% more in winter compared to standard dual pane windows, reducing glare while blocking over 80% of harmful UV rays that fade interior furnishings!*
New York City faces a severe housing shortage, made even worse by the office apocalypse (the rapid conversion of offices to apartments). Some have suggested that loosening rules about bedroom windows might help rapidly fill empty urban commercial districts – Matt Yglesias wrote an article for Slate last year calling for windowless bedrooms as a means to save downtowns.
Even as dorm rooms with no windows have become commonplace on college campuses, legalizing bedroom window removal poses serious concerns in multifamily buildings. Such action could create cramped, dark environments that resemble battleship barracks or Matrix-esque containment pods more than actual homes.
Apart from this concern, there are legitimate reasons for bedrooms to contain windows. In New York City, legal bedrooms must fulfill certain criteria in order to be classified as legal bedrooms – at least 80 square feet, two means of egress, at least one window 12 square feet in area that overlooks public areas like streets or parks or private yards on the same lot, etc. Skylights can sometimes also count as windows.
Are you in Brooklyn NY and in search of new windows that will increase bedroom comfort while simultaneously cutting energy costs? Power Home Remodeling experts are here to assist. Our specialists will help select products tailored specifically to your Brooklyn NY home as well as energy-saving windows which may qualify you for energy saving tax credits. Get in touch with us now so we can get this project underway! Contact Power Home Remodeling now to start the process!
Privacy
After Jacob Riis’s 1889 expose, How the Other Half Lives, New York City passed a law mandating that all rooms except bathrooms and water-closet compartments possess windows of at least three square feet. Bedrooms must also be accessible from an uncluttered corridor without another bedroom in it; these requirements help ensure windowless bedrooms, which are illegal in New York City, don’t become homes for migrants squatting between downtowns. On Monday at Greene Space, Mayor Eric Adams proposed conducting a “real examination” of these laws; possibly permitting office conversions with windowless bedrooms included as potential office conversions!
