For property managers & supers · Oct 1 – May 31
From October 1 through May 31, NYC apartments must reach 68°F by day when it is below 55°F outside, and 62°F at night. In buildings heated unit by unit, each PTAC or heat pump is part of that obligation. Here is how to get them tested and repaired before tenants call 311.
New York City's heat season runs from October 1 through May 31. Between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., when the outdoor temperature falls below 55°F, the indoor temperature in apartments must be at least 68°F. Between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., it must be at least 62°F whatever the weather. Hot water at 120°F is required all year. The rules come from the NYC Housing Maintenance Code; HPD enforces them, and tenants report outages through 311.
A central boiler is one machine. A building heated by PTACs or heat pumps has one heater per room, all installed at the same time and aging together. The first cold night tends to surface the weak units all at once, and each one is a separate tenant complaint.
The fix is boring and effective: test every unit on heat before October, repair what fails, and keep a record of model and condition per apartment so replacements can be budgeted instead of rushed.
When a tenant reports no heat, open a work order with the building and apartment and we schedule access with your super, not the tenant. The repair is documented the same way, so you have a record of the fault and the fix if the complaint reaches HPD.
October 1 through May 31: at least 68°F indoors from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. when it is below 55°F outside, and at least 62°F from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. regardless of the weather. Hot water must be at least 120°F all year.
September, so failed units are repaired before the first cold night rather than after the first complaints.
Yes. Every unit gets a line in the close-out with make, model, what we found and what we did, and your reference numbers appear on the paperwork.
We schedule with whoever holds access, usually your super or on-site staff, not the tenant.
