December 24, 2022
A severe holiday cold front has dumped over six feet of snow upstate and brought sub-freezing temperatures to New York City. If your apartment is cold you can register a complaint with NYC here.
These are the applicable heat regulations:
Residential Heat and Hot Water Requirements
From October 1 through May 31, the City requires building owners to provide tenants with heat according to the following rules:
- Between 6 AM and 10 PM, if the outside temperature falls below 55 degrees, the inside temperature must be at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Between 10 PM and 6 AM, the inside temperature must be at least 62 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. There is no outside temperature requirement.
You can make a complaint about a residential building that does not have enough hot water at any time. Hot water must be provided 365 days per year at a constant minimum temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Excessive heat complaints are only accepted between June 1 and September 30.
Before filing a complaint, you should try to resolve the issue with your landlord, managing agent, or superintendent. If you live in a co-op or condo, you should first report apartment maintenance issues to the owner, management company, or board before filing a complaint with HPD, as the specific agreements between the coop or condo owner and the board may dictate which conditions are required to be addressed by the board or the unit owner.
What You Need
If you are making a heat or hot water complaint for your apartment, you must provide your contact information.
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“New Yorkers are used to winter storms, but this one packed a punch and caused complete whiteout conditions in Western New York however, additional help is on the way,” Governor Hochul said. “Our state agency personnel and local emergency responders have been coordinating throughout the storm and we thank them for being away from their families this holiday weekend as they work to keep our communities safe. Please stay home today if you are in areas experiencing blizzard like conditions and know that roads will be icy across the state as we continue to experience freezing temperatures in the teens and single digits.” ~Governor Hochul
