Between tenants: a glass and screen checklist for Kingston rentals

Why Kingston's rental calendar bunches repairs together

Close to half of Kingston households rent. Around Queen's and St. Lawrence College, many leases follow the academic year, so a lot of move-outs, walkthroughs and move-ins fall in the same few weeks, and the repairs those walkthroughs turn up land in the same weeks too, for many landlords at once.

That's the real difficulty with turnover. Most glass and window screen work is quick. What takes time is anything made to measure, and the fact that many owners are working to similar dates. The rest of this guide is about finding problems early and doing things in the right order.

The walkthrough checklist

Open and close every window. Check from inside and, where you can, from outside.

Window screens

• Torn or pushed-out mesh, especially at the corners
• Bent frames that no longer sit in the track, or missing screens
• Broken clips and pull tabs, and loose spline (the rubber cord holding the mesh)
• On older houses, whether the combination storm's screen panel slides and locks

Rescreening is usually a small job; window screen repair covers mesh, frames and sizes.

Window glass and thermal units

• Cracks, including short ones running in from an edge
• Haze between the panes: a failed thermal unit (the sealed double glazing)
• Chipped corners, and loose putty on wood sash
• Water on the room side that wipes off: usually humidity, not the window

Patio and closet doors

• Sliding patio doors that drag, jump the track or won't latch
• Torn patio door screens and worn screen rollers
• Closet doors off their track, and chipped mirror edges; mirrored closet door repair covers rollers and panels

Locks and hardware

• Sash locks that close fully and pull the sash tight
• Casement cranks, and double-hung balances that won't hold
• Patio door locks and any secondary bar or pin
• Torn or missing weatherstripping

Photos and notes at move-in and move-out

Photos settle more turnover questions than anything else. For each room:

• one photo of each window from inside, showing the whole unit;
• a close-up of anything damaged, with something in the frame for scale;
• the window screen in place, and the patio door open and closed.

Date them, keep them with the lease, and take the same set at move-in so there is a before and an after. Tenants can do the same and share them with the landlord at the start of the tenancy. The same photos are what a pro quotes from, so they do double duty.

Scheduling repairs in the turnover window

Start when the outgoing tenant's notice is in, not after they leave.

1. Walk the unit early, by arrangement with the outgoing tenant.
2. Order custom units first. A fogged or cracked thermal unit is measured, made to size and fitted on a second visit, so it is the item most likely to miss a move-in date.
3. Batch the quick jobs. Window screens, rollers, latches and closet tracks can often be done in one visit per house, or across several addresses.
4. Make safe what can't wait. A broken pane can usually be covered first and the permanent glass fitted once it's made.
5. Paint and clean last, after the glass work.

For a pane that breaks mid-term, broken window glass sets out the order: make it safe, photograph it, cover it, then replace it.

Older houses in Sydenham and the University District

The University District is mostly pre-First World War houses, and Sydenham Ward mixes permanent homes and student rentals among many of the city's historic limestone buildings. That changes the checklist:

• Wood double-hung sash with storm windows are common, so check sash cords, putty and the storms themselves.
• Old openings are rarely standard sizes, so replacement window screens and storms are usually made to measure. Keep the sizes once they're measured.
• Part of Sydenham Ward lies inside the Old Sydenham Heritage Conservation District. Window changes beyond upkeep on a designated or district rental may need heritage approval, so plan them outside the turnover rush. The heritage homes guide explains how to check.

The University District page looks at those houses in more detail. On licensing: Council approved a residential rental licensing pilot for Sydenham and Kingscourt–Rideau in principle in 2024, but as of September 2026 the City lists only short-term rental licences. Its rental licensing project page is the place to watch.

Purpose-built apartments and common areas

Most new rental supply in the Kingston area is purpose-built apartments rather than condos. Turnover there looks different: fewer wood sash and storms, more sliders, balcony doors, mirrored closet doors and shared entrances.

• Check each suite's sliders, patio door rollers and locks, and closet doors as part of the unit inspection.
• Keep window and door sizes by suite type; shared sizes make spare screens and repeat orders simpler.
• Lobby and vestibule doors work hard all year, so check closers and glass on common-area rounds rather than at turnover.

For tenants: what to check and who to tell

If you're renting, look closely on move-in day and write down what you see. Check that windows open, close and lock, that window screens are in place and whole, and that the patio door slides and locks. Photograph anything wrong and send it to the landlord or property manager in writing.

If something breaks during the year, tell the landlord first, and say how it happened if you know. Your lease says who arranges repairs. For students, Queen's off-campus housing guidance describes what a rental should reasonably provide, including working screens and secure locks. If the landlord asks you to arrange a repair yourself, get that approval in writing first.

Sending one request for several units

If you manage more than one unit, one quote request can cover the whole list. Include:

• each address and unit, and who will provide access;
• the move-in date you're working to;
• what you found, room by room, with photos;
• window screen sizes if you have them, or photos with a tape measure across the frame.

We pass the list to an independent local pro who does that kind of work, and they quote it as a batch where they can. The page for property managers and landlords explains how repeat requests work across several properties.