Co-Op City as seen from the Pelham Bay Bridge By Jim.henderson - Own work, Public Domain Heat season
arrives in NYC
Here’s what you can do if you
lose heating or hot water
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
The arrival of October also marks
the start of “heat season” in New York
City — meaning that every residential
building must maintain comfortable
indoor temperatures whenever the
mercury outside falls below 55 degrees.
To mark the start of heat season, the
city’s Department of Housing Preservation
and Development (HPD) outlined
on Thursday how it responded to heat
complaints in the previous winter, and
what it plans to do to keep New Yorkers
warm through fall and winter.
During heat season, by law, all New
York City residential buildings must
maintain indoor temperatures of 68 degrees
during the day whenever outdoor
temperatures fall below 55 degrees.
Overnights, indoor temperatures cannot
fall below 62 degrees regardless of
the outside weather.
That means that all building owners
must provide adequate heat and hot
water services. Unfortunately, in past
winters, not every landlord has fulfi
lled that obligation to their tenants —
which is when the HPD steps in.
Upon receiving heat/hot water complaints,
HPD will dispatch housing inspectors
to residential buildings and, if
necessary, send in crews to make emergency
repairs and restore service.
Between 2018 and 2019, the enforcement
team made 1.4 million inspections
citywide, issuing 1.1 million violations
for both heat/hot water issues
and other problems in buildings, including
lead paint conditions and rodent
infestation.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,48 OCTOBER 9-15, 2020 BTR
During the 2019-20 heat season, HPD
inspectors conducted more than 100,000
inspections across the fi ve boroughs,
according to the agency. And they kept
working even as the COVID-19 pandemic
set in during March and April,
according to HPD Commissioner
Louise Carroll.
“HPD housing inspectors and emergency
repair staff are among the unsung
heroes of this crisis, carrying
out inspections and emergency repairs
for the most serious conditions in the
height of the COVID-19 outbreak,” Carroll
said. “We will continue to rely on
their dedication this coming winter as
they work to ensure heat and hot water
is provided by law.”
Reporting violations
All residential property owners in
New York are required by law to provide
heat and hot water to their tenants.
If you lose your heating service
or hot water and your landlord refuses
to respond, then it’s time to call the city
for assistance.
Make an offi cial complaint through
the 311 hotline or online at the 311
website, portal.311.nyc.gov, or use the
311Mobile app. Be sure to get the complaint
number. You can track and monitor
the result of the complaint on the
HPD’s website, nyc.gov/hpd.
While HPD promises to respond
to heat and hot water complaints as
quickly as possible, chances are you
won’t get a response right away. The
average response time from complaint
to inspection was 2.1 days between the
2018 and 2019 fi scal years, which actually
was an improvement by a full day.
Until the HPD responds and/or heating
or hot water service is restored, the
HPD advises not to use any other “auxiliary
heating” methods such as space
heaters, ovens or candles — all of which
are prone to causing fi res or carbon
monoxide poisoning if left unattended
for any length of time.
If the landlord continues to avoid
providing heat and/or hot water, the
HPD will intervene with its Emergency
Repair Program or Housing Litigation
Division to have the services restored.
Landlords who fail to provide
heat or hot water services are subject
to HPD fi nes of between $250 and
$500 per day for the initial violation,
and up to $1,000 per day for every
subsequent violation.
Heating safety tips
If you’re feeling cold on a particularly
frosty day at home, and the heat
or hot water is out, wear warm layers
of clothing and drink plenty of fl uid
to avoid indoor hypothermia. Infants
should also wear layers and sleep alone
in a crib or bassinet; never cover them
with blankets above their chests.
Electric space heaters may be used,
but proceed with caution. The Health
Department advises plugging the space
heater directly into a wall outlet and
placed away from fl ammable items.
Never hang any clothing or linens of
any kind close to the heater.
Space heaters fueled by kerosene
or propane are illegal in New York
City, and must not be used under
any circumstances.
Malfunctioning heating systems, in
some instances, may cause fi res or the
emission of carbon monoxide — a colorless,
odorless and lethal gas. Make sure
you have working smoke and carbon
monoxide detectors in your home, with
fresh batteries installed, and placed
in areas where you can hear them,
day or night.
Financial aid available
If you’re a homeowner and you can’t
afford your heat or hot water, there is
help available.
The federal government provides
annual Home Energy Assistance Program
(HEAP) to qualifi ed, low-income
property owners who are having fi nancial
diffi culties in maintaining the utilities.
You may also qualify for funding
to make repairs to heating equipment.
Call 800-692-0557 or visit the
city’s Human Resources Administration
website, nyc.gov/hra, for
further information.
Sources: NYC Department of Housing
Preservation and Development and
the NYC Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene.
This story fi rst appeared
on amny.com.
/hra
/hpd
/portal.311.nyc.gov
/amny.com