The winter months are here, and the temperatures are dropping with each passing day. As a tenant, don’t forget there are laws and regulations when it comes to heating a building, and IMPACCT Brooklyn will fight for your right to a warm apartment!
The period between October 1st and May 31st is considered Heat Season, because residential building owners in New York City are legally required to maintain a minimum temperature in their properties – 68 degrees Fahrenheit during the day (between 6:00 A.M. and 10:00 P.M.), and 62 degrees Fahrenheit at night (between 10:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M). Failure to do so is grounds for legal action, and IMPACCT Brooklyn’s team of Community Organizers is happy to help.
When the landlord of two neighboring Crown Heights apartment buildings refused to heat his property to a suitable standard, tenants reached out to IMPACCT Brooklyn to learn their rights and to fight back! With our help, they organized a tenant union, held several rallies against the landlord, and made the local media aware of his neglect. The case was eventually heard in court, and a judge held the landlord in civil contempt for not providing necessary services.
If you or a friend’s apartment building loses heat, there are a number of steps you can take to ensure heat is restored:
- Try to let the building owner, superintendent, or landlord know the heat is out.
- If the heat is not restored, register an official complaint via 311. Call 311, visit 311ONLINE, or use the 311Mobile app to file a complaint. Hearing-impaired tenants can register complaints via a Touchtone Device for the Deaf TDD at (212) – 504 – 4115.
- Call IMPACCT Brooklyn’s Community Organizing at (718) – 522 – 2613, extension 010 (Gina).
The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) will check to see if the building owner is following the law. They may contact the building owner, send an inspector to verify the complaint, and issue a violation directing the owner to restore heat and hot water, if necessary. If the owner refuses to restore service, HPD may initiate repairs and/or initiate legal action against properties and property owners who are issued multiple heat violations.
Additionally, however you heat your apartment, make sure it’s fire safe by following these simple rules.
If you or your neighbors are being harassed by your landlord, overcharged for rent, not getting the repairs you need, or facing unlawful eviction, learn your rights and fight back with IMPACCT Brooklyn’s help! Contact our Community Organizing department today for help forming a tenant union, or for one-on-one counseling and free legal assistance!
