26 OCTOBER 8, 2020 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Heating season arrives in Queens: Here’s what
you can do if you lose heating or hot water
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
RPOZARYCKI@QNS.COM
@ROBBPOZ
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 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 fulfilled 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.
During the 2019-20 heat season,
HPD inspectors conducted more than
100,000 inspections across the five
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
Heat season in New York City runs from Oct. 1-May 1, and thousands of New Yorkers often wind up calling the
city to help them when their heating or hot water systems fail. Photo via Getty Images
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 official 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
fiscal 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 fires 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 fines 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
fluid 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
flammable 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 fires
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 qualified, lowincome
property owners who are
having financial difficulties 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.
/portal.311.nyc.gov
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link
/hra
link