‘Heat Season' is at hand

As the temperatures continue to fall this fall, residential building owners must provide their tenants heat when the outdoor temperature tumbles below 55 degrees, and hot water at all times.
Residential owners are mandated by law, from now until May 31, 2007, to maintain a temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. when the outdoor temperature falls below 55 degrees. During the same time interval, when the temperature drops below 40 degrees, heat within the building must be a minimum of 55 degrees.
&#8220Our goal is to educate New York's tenants about their rights during the winter and remind building owners about their responsibilities,” said New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Shaun Donovan.
Donovan says that those owners who fail to meet these requirements will be brought to court. Last year over 2,000 landlords were sued by HPD. In fact, in January 2004, Mayor Bloomberg signed legislation that made the maximum penalty for heat and water violations $500 a day, a 100 percent increase over the previous maximum fine of $250 a day.
In case of a heat deficiency, a tenant should first attempt to notify the building owner or anyone else who would be able to rectify the situation. If the heat is still not restored, the tenant should call the City's Citizen Service Center at 3-1-1, available all hours of the day. The City's Citizen Service Center also has a touchtone device for hearing impaired tenants, 212-504-4115.
HPD also works with other aspects of building management. HPD helps owners who wish to improve how their building is run, or need help with their heating system. The HPD offers a Housing Education Program intended specifically for this purpose, to help owners learn about managing their buildings properly.
Heat and water are recognized as necessities during the wintertime. Building owners are encouraged to make sure that they provide their tenants with proper heat and hot water, as both go a long way to preventing winter season illnesses and frostbite.