Why do my neighbors keep their windows open through the dead of winter?

[Anonymous]

Meth lab, for sure.

[Anonymous]

Mine aren’t open all the time, but I’ve had them open for a couple of hours over the last couple of days to get fresh air circulating and because I was cooking a lot and I wanted to keep the smells moving along.

[Anonymous]

I open all windows almost daily for at least a little awhile, regardless of outside temp. Always have, even when I lived in icy cold Minnesota. It’s part of our daily routine.

Our master bedroom window is cracked all night, except in the very coldest weather.

I like the fresh air, and am sensitive to smells/odor. I think it is healthier to circulate fresh air in daily, too. If people get chilly they can put on an extra sweater.

[Anonymous]

When I was in college in an off campus apartment, our 100 year old radiators had two temperatures: nuclear reactor or stone cold. So maybe that's why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some people like it cold, especially when sleeping.

When I lived in old buildings with radiators, I found it hard to get the heat setting quite right (but I LOVED having radiators). The best way to get the temperature just right was how much to crack the window open.

Exactly this - we certainly don't have windows wide open all night but definitely crack the window at night to make it perfect as between the hot radiator and ice cold air outside. I actually really like it! Fresh cold air is nice. I live farther north than DC now where it is much colder.

[Anonymous]

My windows are open as soon as the air gets below 70 outside and I leave them open in winter unless DC gets a weird day of 20 below. I feel better and sleep better in cool/cold fresh air.

[Anonymous]

OP you can call the police and just say you’re concerned and would like a welfare check because of a strange odor. The owner may get the idea to close their windows.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP you can call the police and just say you’re concerned and would like a welfare check because of a strange odor. The owner may get the idea to close their windows.

WTH? Why should the neighbor need to close their windows?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am originally from Germany and everyone airs out their house no matter what the temperature outside is. Not 24/7 but we like our fresh air!

Yes! I remember being in Germany and walking to work. Women were opening windows right and left on their apartments and putting their duvets out to air.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP you can call the police and just say you’re concerned and would like a welfare check because of a strange odor. The owner may get the idea to close their windows.

A strange odor? So OP's supposed to lie to get the cops to come because....windows are cracked? Wow. Talk about wasting police time. Not to mention that the cops will mention the "odor" to the neighbors who will then be justifiably pi$$3d at whatever idiot neighbor made that call.

Save welfare check calls for when they are actually needed. They're not a trick to get the cops to talk to neighbors about totally innocent choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes this is nosy, no it has no effect to on me, I’m just baffled. Are they smokers? It is a cultural thing? All of their bedroom windows are cracked several inches 24/7 including times like right now when it is below freezing outside.

Because it is their house and it is none of your damn business. So mind your own business. You are the neighbor from Hell.

Well, that escalated quickly!

She's not even asking the neighbors. She literally just sounds curious, I guess because she never considered some of the reasons folks have listed here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Since a bunch of people have said radiators, I should mention that we live in townhouses built in 2018 with forced air.

This is your answer. We have a second property that is a townhouse. When we are there, we keep the main floor (where we spend the most time) at a comfortable temp. This makes the basement cold and the second floor warm. So, we have a wall mounted space heater in the basement and we sometimes have to crack the windows upstairs to vent some of the heat.

One of the reasons why I normally hate townhouses.

[Anonymous]

I'm stunned at people who DON'T open windows. My sister is one of them. When I visit her house, I wonder if I'm breathing the air I exhaled the the last time I was there. It's SO stuffy.

[Anonymous]

I'm European, from a Nordic country and I continue to be baffled over how my American husband doesn't get the 'letting fresh air in'. No, setting the HVAC on a desired temperature does not create the same result!

[Anonymous]

Maybe they are ghosts and therefore have no bodies by which to register the temperature.