NYC Heat laws

If you are currently without heat in NYC, please call 311 or submit a complaint online through the 311 website. Contacting 311 creates a record of the complaint, and is an important first step in addressing most housing issues. 

NYC regulations require landlords to provide the following:

Between October 1st and May 31st ("Heat Season")

• Between the hours of 6:00am and 10:00pm, if the outside temperature falls below 55 degrees, the inside temperature is required to be at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit; and,

• Between the hours of 10:00pm and 6:00am, the inside temperature is required to be at least 62 degrees Fahrenheit, regardless of the outdoor temperature.

Year Round

• Hot water must be available at a constant minimum temperature of 120 degrees.

NEED A SENSOR?

There are two ways you can obtain a Heat Seek sensor:

• The majority of our sensors are reserved for the advocacy organizations we partner with to run our heat season program. Tenants participating in our heat season program receive a sensor through their advocacy organization, use it to collect data throughout the winter, and return the sensor to Heat Seek at the end of heat season. To participate in our heat season program, we recommend that you reach out to local advocacy groups in your area and ask them to join Heat Seek as a partner organization. Click here to find your nearest group.

• If you would like to purchase a sensor, please fill out our sensor request form. We will alert you when sensors become available to the general public.

Find your local community organization

Need to find a lawyer or community organizer in your neighborhood? Use the JustFix.nyc’s Eviction Free NYC screener to find services nearest you. Simply click “Get Started”, enter your address, and keep clicking the “Submit” button until the Assistance Options page appears. You can use this tool even if you’re not facing an eviction. Or, email your questions to the JustFix.nyc team directly at support@justfix.nyc.