1) The Blair's Policy for Heating and Air Conditioning scheduled turn on dates should be revised based on specific inhabitable temperatures at 68 degrees (see guidance from the Montgomery County Housing government website). Instead it is based on arbitrary monitoring of the weather (see Property Manager's email below) and adjusted once they deem consistent weather changes.
"Dear Blairs Residents: We appreciate your patience while we experience higher than predicted temperatures this week. We are closely monitoring the weather in order to determine the most appropriate time to switch from heat to air conditioning. Our building systems are not designed to be switched back and forth between heat and air conditioning frequently, so we are unable to turn the air conditioning on when still expecting temperatures in the 40’s later this week; we must provide heat when it’s cold. On days like today, here are a few tips to help keep your apartment cooler:- Keep your blinds closed during the daylight hours. Leaving blinds open will heat the apartment up quicker. - Keep a window open at night, to help cool the apartment when the sun is down.- Use a desk or box fan to keep air moving around the apartment. We sincerely appreciate your understanding during the always unpredictable transition between seasons. We will notify everyone as soon as the air-conditioning will be activated. If you have any questions, please contact the business office at 301-589-6399. Regards, Arniece Greene"
2) With the current forecast this week of April 8th having temperatures in the mid and upper 80s, it is unhealthy for the Blairs' residents including the elderly, handicapped, infants, children, and pets to inhabit apartments that are have inside temps quoted mid 80s and 90s (with the windows open). This falls outside of the mimimum heating and AC temperature standards (68 degrees) per the Montgomery County Housing government website. See below fo the Q&A guidance from the government link at
http://www6.montgomerycountymd.gov/dhctmpl.asp?url=/content/DHCA/housing/code_E/handbook.asp#12 .
"Q: Are there scheduled turn on dates for air conditioning and heating?
A: No. However, every landlord must provide a minimum temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit at all times during the heating season."