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Renting / Heat, hot water and repairs

Heat, hot water and repairs in a NYC apartment

New York City landlords must keep apartments at legal minimum temperatures from 1 October to 31 May, and supply hot water all year. Check a reading against the rules, see how to get repairs made, and print a letter to your landlord.

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Check the heat or hot water

Heat
Hot water

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The rules

How to get it fixed

  1. Tell your landlord or super, in writing

    HPD and 311 both say to go to your landlord, managing agent or super first NYC HPD: heat and hot water · checked 22 Oct 2026 NYC311: heat or hot water complaint · checked 22 Oct 2026. Put it in writing (the letter below, a text or an email) and keep a copy: if it goes to Housing Court, you'll want a record of every contact with your landlord and HPD NYC311: heat or hot water complaint · checked 22 Oct 2026. In a co-op or condo, report it first to the owner, the management company or the board NYC311: heat or hot water complaint · checked 22 Oct 2026.

  2. File a complaint with 311

    If it isn't fixed, call 311 (TTY (212) 504-4115) or use 311 Online or the 311 app NYC HPD: heat and hot water · checked 22 Oct 2026. 311 has one complaint for your apartment and another for the whole building; for your apartment it asks for your contact details NYC311: heat or hot water complaint · checked 22 Oct 2026.

  3. HPD contacts the landlord, then inspects

    HPD tries to tell the owner or managing agent about the complaint, and may call you to ask whether it's been fixed. If it hasn't, or HPD can't reach you, it sends an inspector NYC HPD: heat and hot water · checked 22 Oct 2026. The owner isn't told the inspection date, and the inspector also checks smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, lead paint (with a child under six), window guards (with a child under 11), mould, and mice, cockroaches and rats NYC311: heat or hot water complaint · checked 22 Oct 2026. You can follow the complaint and see violations on HPD Online NYC HPD: heat and hot water · checked 22 Oct 2026.

  4. Violations and the time to fix them

    A violation's class sets how long the owner has to correct it before civil penalties apply, if HPD seeks them in Housing Court NYC HPD: violation classes and correction times · checked 22 Oct 2026. Heat and hot water are Class C with no time at all.

    ClassTypeTime to correct
    ANon-hazardous90 days from date of service
    BHazardous30 days from date of service
    CImmediately hazardous: lead-based paint, window guards, mould, mice, cockroaches and rats21 days from date of service
    CImmediately hazardous: self-closing doors14 days from date of service
    CImmediately hazardous: heat and hot waterNo time
    CImmediately hazardous: all others24 hours from date of service

    For heat and hot water, HPD can ask the court for $250 to $500 a day for a first violation, and $500 to $1,000 a day for later ones at the same building. If heat or hot water still isn't restored, HPD's Emergency Repair Program can hire a contractor and bill the owner NYC HPD: heat and hot water · checked 22 Oct 2026.

  5. Later: an HP action in Housing Court

    If the owner still doesn't make repairs, you can bring a case in Housing Court to make them repair and provide essential services such as heat and hot water. It's called an HP action. You start it at the Housing Court clerk's office, and you don't need a lawyer NYC HPD: Housing Court and HP actions · checked 22 Oct 2026 NYC311: heat or hot water complaint · checked 22 Oct 2026. Housing Court Answers runs a hotline, 212-962-4795, and information tables at Housing Court in each borough NYC HPD: Housing Court and HP actions · checked 22 Oct 2026.

A repair-request letter to print

Fill in the details and print it, or save it as a PDF from the print dialog. If you check a reading above first, the letter includes it.

Print this page and fill in the blanks by hand.

Your name:
Building address:
Apartment Apartment:

Date of the letter:

To: Landlord, managing agent or super:

Re: Request for repairs at Building address: , Apartment Apartment:

I am writing to ask you to make these repairs in my apartment:

The problem started on Date the problem started: . I first told you about it on Date you first told them: .

Please make these repairs as soon as possible and let me know when the work will be done, so I can arrange access. If they aren't fixed, I may file a complaint with 311 so that the Department of Housing Preservation and Development can inspect. I am keeping a copy of this letter.

Sincerely,

Your name: