Have you tried asking nicely?

This would make a little more sense if you told more of the story. Like why your landlord refused when you asked for the windows to be cleaned.

You did ask already, right?

If he doesn't want to do it and it's not stipulated in the lease that he's gonna do it - He doesn't have to do it.

If you ask once and he says no then ask for it to be a condition when renewing your lease, or offer to split the cost. If windows are the least of your worries though, I'd say grin and bear it.

Talk to a local tenants' rights organization to see if you have any legal leverage. Depending upon the degree of filth, maybe you're covered by health codes?

Also, put your requests in writing. Date them and copies. If the building isn't up to code and you can prove you've made timely requests about it, it helps immensely.

If all else fails, tell him that you'll be renting a power washer to clean the outside of the windows, and that you'll deduct it from next month's rent and enclose the receipt.

Power in numbers! Assuming you have already asked and they said no, time to bring in the neighbors. Type up a formal request and ask as many people in the building as you can to sign it.

Or, if you have access to a garden hose, you can always try that Windex Outdoor spray. Attach it to the hose and spray away. Be sure to spray the windows under yours when you're done, because they will be gross after that.

Okay I don't know how high up you are, or what kind of windows you have. But in my last apartment we kind of just took the windows out ourselves and cleaned them ourselves.

http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Clean-Second-Story-Windows-Without-a-Ladder-192706880

I am assuming you asked him already. If it's not in your lease, than legally there isn't much you can do.

I don't believe any dirty windows will get anyone in trouble with the health dept- and if you try and fail the situation will be horrid for you to live in. If you clean them yourself and try to deduct that from your rent without approval you could be in trouble too- late rent charges, dings to your credit etc... where I am from there are no tenents rights laws or organizations, so it would depend where your from what options you have available to you.

If you try the outdoor windex, spray it on a small area first- we had some paint loss on aluminum windows due to that stuff...

Here's the NY State Tenant's Rights Guide.

http://www.ag.ny.gov/bureaus/real_estate_finance/pdfs/tenants_rights_guide.pdf

Nowhere does it say anything about the right to clean windows - and dirty windows aren't exactly a health hazard either.

My motto is if you want something done, then do it. It's not like a major appliance that needs a specialist to work on it - it's windows! Vinegar, rags, and at worst some awkward contortions if your windows don't open into the room. You can even get those extension squeegees like they have at gas stations.

I have similar issues with my 4th floor windows. I use Windex Outdoor Glass Cleaner. It attaches to a garden hose, which I connect to my kitchen sink. From an open window, I'm able to hose down all the other windows. I only need to do it once or twice a year, and they look great.

I have to agree with the do-it-yourselfers. Unless you're differently abled, cleaning a window is sort of like vacuuming and mopping your floors -- or cleaning the inside of your windows for that matter. Get a bucket, long-handled squeegee/sponge contraption, a cleaner with a de-greasing agent (sounds like your windows need it) and go at it -- assuming your windows open from inside. Otherwise, you can hire someone with an extension ladder for not too much. We had our entire 2-story house done for $300, and you're talking just two windows, right?

I was going to suggest the cleaner from a hose thing too. I've heard it works great. Sounds like it's your only chance now. I sure as hell should get some.

I never paid much attention to the cleanliness of the outside of house windows - until I moved to Istanbul. My sweet husband refused to let me do housework (what a great guy!), so we hired a weekly maid. In typical Turkish fashion, she would actually step outside of the window onto the ledge and clean the outside of the windows with a rag and window cleaner (biweekly). Did I mention we lived on the fourth floor?! It was often I would see other women in buildings nearby standing on the ledges cleaning the windows. It made me nervous just watching them. But I've never seen cleaner homes than in Istanbul.

The moral of the story... if you're well balanced and adventurous, you could venture to do them from your apartment, or perhaps pay someone to do them for you.

putting a squeegee on a stick is an obvious solution... when you own a house. When you live in an apartment, standing underneath your window would involve wandering in on someone else's patio.

Which, I guess... if you knew your neighbours it wouldn't be that big of a deal, but I wouldn't feel comfortable trampling some neighbour's flower garden.

Persuade some local teens to pelt the outside of your building with rocks. Ask them to make sure they smash ALL of your windows.

Nice clean new glass at no cost to you :)

DO NOT do what "akay" suggested (which is to pay for it yourself, deduct it from the rent, and mail the receipt to the landlord) unless you want to face eviction for not paying your rent. A lease is a contract and window washing isn't in that contract I presume. Even if your situation involved a major inconvenience (like the heating or ac going out) you still should never do this. If anyone has ever gotten away with it then there are ten people like them who haven't, maybe more. I know akay suggested this as the third and final step, but it is absolutely horrible advice. It will likely incense your landlord, who might (probably) have a mortgage to pay on the property.

Vinegar and water work wonders.

Er, pay for window cleaners? I don't know about New York, but in the neighborhood I lived in in London, they would come round about once every six months and offer to clean our windows (we lived on the second story) for 5 pounds.

why not to clean it yourself?

http://g1.globo.com/VCnoG1/foto/0,,20658746-EX,00.jpg

(sorry, I could not resist!)

You can rent washers from home depot for pretty cheap... we did that to get to our 3rd floor windows. I think it cost us about $40 for the day. Our landlord loved us, because we did those smaller things on our own without asking him to- fixing small leaks, doing the windows, changing out lights, etc.

spotz, dude, that was tongue-in-cheek. Who's seriously going to rent a power washer?

This isn't meant to be taken as legal advice, but I can't think of a single instance in which dirty windows could be construed as a health hazard. The landlord has the legal obligation to supply the basic amenities to you as a renter -- adequate heat, air conditioning, electricity, clean running water and a sound structure that is free of pest or vermin infestation. Anything beyond that and you are getting into cloudy territory.

I'd have to agree with the others that you could ask the landlord to clean the windows, or you could just clean them yourself.

Power washer renting at home depot is not expensive ... but you'd probably need to ask your landlord first for permission to wash the windows because I can see it creating a mess.

Look, if you want clean windows, call a service that cleans windows and be done with it. Will it cost you some money? Yes. Will it be done? Yes. Will it need to be done again? Yes. I used "Big Apple Cleaning" when I lived on the 12th floor of a converted office building on PAS. They charged $5 per window. I used them again 5 years later when I lived on the UES. They charged $5 per window (that was 2001). (Now I have tilt and turns and I do it myself). The benefit to hiring a company to do this is that you do not have to get any equipment and you do not have to worry about any liability exposures.

Big Apple sent a guy out who hung two buckets of water onto his belt, and then hooked himself (via belt) onto knobs on the sides of the windows, hung himself out and using a two ended squeege, sponged and then wiped down the windows. Then he wrapped the wiper end in a rag and using an extension sprayer, sprayed the window with a water repellent and wiped it around. We only had to do this once on PAS and the windows were bright for a year. It did make a mess because he had to change the water in the buckets after every window.

In 99.99% of leases, a LL is not contractually obligated to clean the outer windows from time to time.

Why should the landlord clean your window, omg?! If I owned a place and rented it to someone I would think that is ridiculous if they asked. If something is broken, that's one thing... but if something is dirty the tenant should clean it. It must not have stopped you from moving in there in the first place.

I've rented all my life, and never has a landlord washed the windows. If you do the inside, then do the outside. It's the tenant's responsibility as it is the shareholder's if one lives in a co-op.I always considered washing the windows part of my exercise program.

As for group action, save it for something more important.

You kidding right. Ask your super, pay him and get your windows cleaned. Or many of the double hung windows tilt inward for cleaning, ask you super. Otherwise newspaper, papertowel and windex or vinegar if you will and have fun.

D.I.Y.

Let your landlord know that you are gonna do it (since it is the exterior) and then clean it yourself. You do not bug the landlord about little things because you will annoy them and when something is a real problem, you'll look like a whiner.

Years before I moved into the building I live in now; 64 apartments, tenants went directly to the landlord to complain about the same thing. No, the super isn't paid to wash windows, neither is the porter of the building. Instead he decided to replace all the windows of the tenement.
He explained the money from the buildings laundry room could cover some of the payment, the other half would be added on their monthly rent and would only be a small amount every month till the windows were paid off. I moved in a couple of years later and living on the fourth floor I love the fact I can clean my own windows whenever I choose. Strangely, not everyone does the same.

KELLY: I agree with the following suggestions already written here:

1) First ask.
2) If your landlord/landlady won't do it, then advise him/her that you will hire someone to do it then deduct from next months rent. Or, split the cost.
3) DO NOT DO IT YOURSELF. I KNOW MANY PEOPLE CLIMB LADDERS TO WASH THEIR WINDOWS ON THE SECOND FLOOR, BUT DON'T DO IT. YOU'RE RENTING, AND IT'S NOT WORTH THE RISK UNLESS YOU ARE COMFORTABLE ON LADDERS:)
4) IF YOU DO DECIDE TO WASH THEM YOURSELF, ADVISE YOUR LANDLORD BEFOREHAND IN WRITING, AND I'M SURE HE/SHE WILL STEP IN TO AVOID A POTENTIAL LAWSUIT.
5) DO EVERYTHING IN WRITING AND KEEP RECORDS.

You live on the second floor? Seriously, just do it yourself.

you should probably just call 911.

You are on the second floor - do it yourself. I see the point for people on the third or fourth floor or higher, but come on. If there isn't a water thing outside for a water hose, attach it on the inside. If the hose doesn't reach, use your downstairs neighbors and offer to at lease rinse off their windows.

I do have to wonder if you are the same kind of person who calls the landlord if a simple screw comes loose from a cabinet, one tiny piece of linoleum starts coming up, if a light switch plate cracks, etc. All this is cheap stuff to do yourself and your landlord will love you that you aren't bugging the hell out of him.