Are you familiar with the city regulations requiring residential building owners, including rentals and condos, to heat their buildings. If you are like most, probably not. This October marked the beginning of NYC heating season. Heating season is the result of a local regulation, which requires all residential building owners to provide their tenants with adequate heat and hot water throughout the winter.
NYC Heating Season Specifics
While there’s much to love about fall in NYC, there’s more to this season than busting out your chic new fall coat and putting on a pair of fashionable boots. From Oct. 1 to May 31 is known as the Heat Season. During this period if outdoor temperatures in NY fall below 55 degrees between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., the inside temperature must be at least 68 degrees; and from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., the inside temperature must be at least 62 degrees.
Sometimes it is expensive for landlords to switch from heat to air conditioning but it is mandatory compliance. A building that fails to adequately heat apartments could be subject to fines, penalties and orders to comply. And a tenant should not have to use space heaters, which are a big waste of electricity and are not especially safe or effective. Hot and cold water must also be provided year round. Hot water temperatures must be at least 120 degrees from the tap.
- Help them get to a warm place, like a relative’s home.
- Call 911 if you see someone with signs of hypothermia.
Stay warm when it is cold with your family and friends or Find a Warming Center Near You, till the heat is restored. Call 311 to see if a warming center near you is open or click on the link above. Drink warm liquids, eat hot food and avoid alcohol as it actually lowers your body temperature even though you may feel warmer. The New York Times confirmed that on Saturday, that some 15,000 people, about one of every 11 living in agency buildings, did not have heat at some point.#SafetyOnPurpose.
