NYC heat season: the rules, and what the record shows

Heat season runs from October 1 through May 31, and during it New York's heat law is specific enough to check with a thermometer. Outside those dates a landlord does not have to provide heat at all, but hot water is required every day of the year.

The numbers

Between 6 AM and 10 PM, if the outdoor temperature falls below 55 degrees, every apartment must be at least 68 degrees. Between 10 PM and 6 AM, apartments must be at least 62 degrees regardless of how warm or cold it is outside; the old rule that tied the overnight requirement to the outdoor temperature was dropped years ago. Hot water must be available year-round at a minimum of 120 degrees at the tap.

Two things follow from the daytime trigger. A 56-degree afternoon does not obligate the boiler, so an apartment can be legally chilly in October. And a claim of no heat is strongest when you can show both temperatures: what your thermometer read inside, and what the weather was outside at the same time.

What happens when it fails

No heat and no hot water are Class C, immediately hazardous violations, and they carry the shortest response in the system: heat and hot water must be restored immediately, not within days. The path starts with a 311 complaint, which HPD follows up, often first by contacting the landlord and, if the condition persists, by inspecting. An inspector who confirms the condition writes a violation, and if the owner still does not act, HPD can hire its own contractor to make emergency repairs and bill the owner for the work.

Document as you go: dated thermometer readings, photos, and the 311 service request numbers. If the problem repeats, that record supports an HP action, the Housing Court case where a judge orders repairs and can impose penalties.

Why the record matters more than the rule

Heat violations are the most seasonal signal in the city's data, and they repeat. A building that failed to deliver heat last winter and the winter before has either a failing boiler or an owner who economizes on fuel, and neither fixes itself in July. When you look at a building here, read its winters: heat and hot water violations clustered in past heat seasons are the best available predictor of the coming one. A single violation years ago, closed quickly, is noise; a fresh cluster every December is a forecast.

Owners close heat violations by certifying the correction themselves, so a closed violation means the paperwork was filed, not necessarily that the boiler was replaced. Repetition across seasons is how you tell the difference. This guide is general information about public records, not legal advice.