If you are a tenant without heat or hot water, contact your landlord first. This is the easiest way to resolve a housing quality issues. If your landlord is unresponsive, file a complaint by:

• Calling 311 or TTY (212) 504-4115
• Using 311ONLINE or 311MOBILE

Tenants can file complaints with 311 anonymously if they choose to do so; in this case, the Inspector will randomly choose an apartment to attempt to inspect.

Once a tenant files a 311 complaint related to heat or hot water, HPD:

• attempts to notify the building owner or managing agent to advise them that the building may have no heat
• may also attempt to contact the tenant to see whether service has been restored.
• attempts to conduct an inspection if the tenant indicates that heat has not been restored or we are unable to reach the tenant
• will issue a violation if:
  • the temperatures are taken 6 AM and 10 PM AND
    • the outside temperature is below 55 degrees (the inspector takes the outdoor temperature on every inspection) AND
    • the indoor temperature is below 68 degrees

OR

• the temperature is taken between 10 PM and 6 AM
  • the indoor temperature is below 62 degrees

If the Inspector comes to conduct an inspection and you are not home, the Inspector will leave a card for you indicating that an inspection will be attempted at another apartment in the building.

If an owner fails to restore heat and hot water after receiving a violation, HPD's Emergency Repair Program (ERP) may contract with private companies to restore essential services and bill the owner for the cost of the repairs, plus related fees if the indoor temperature was below 64 degrees between 6 AM and 10 PM or below 58 degrees between 10 PM and 6 AM.

To learn more about the general complaint and inspection process, inspections in general (and what Inspectors look for) and the issuance of other violations besides heat, visit our webpage on what to expect.

To see if there are any open heat and hot water violations on your building or to check the status of your heat and hot water complaint, visit HPDONLINE.

You can also see if HPD initiated litigation against the property owner for a lack of heat and hot water on HPDONLINE by looking at the Litigation Tab.

Cold and winter weather can bring dangerously low temperatures, heavy snow, strong winds, ice, sleet and freezing rain. People can get sick, injured and even die from cold temperatures and winter storms.

The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) provides guidance for all New Yorkers on how they can stay safe and warm by sharing recommendations on preparing  for the winter storm, and what to do if you lose heat or hot water in your home. Here are some winter weather safety tips you should know.

• Take caution when using drugs or alcohol outside, as cold exposure increases risk. To protect New Yorkers, DOHMH is providing support to OnPoint so their Wellness Hubs remain open 24/7 through the blizzard to help community members seeking warmth and services.  
• Older New Yorkers should stay indoors, avoid shoveling, and take steps to prevent slips and falls.
• Infants, seniors, and people with paralysis or neuropathy are at increased risk of hypothermia and frostbite. Check on friends, relatives, and neighbors who may need assistance to ensure they are adequately protected from the cold.
• Recognize the signs and symptoms of frostbite and hypothermia: 
  • Hypothermia: symptoms include slurred speech, sluggishness, confusion, dizziness, shallow breathing, unusual behavior, and slow, irregular heartbeat. 
  • Frostbite: symptoms include gray, white or yellow discoloration, numbness, and waxy feeling skin. 

Prevent fires

• Make sure your home has a working smoke alarm.
• Use space heaters carefully. Never leave space heaters unattended, especially around children. Plug them directly into a wall outlet, not an extension cord. Unplug space heaters whenever you leave the room or go to sleep.
• Keep flammable materials, including furniture, curtains and carpeting at least three feet away from sources of heat. NEVER hang clothes over a space heater to dry.
• For more information on how to prevent fires, visit the NYC Fire Departmentwebsite and search “Winter & Holiday Fire Safety."

Prevent carbon monoxide poisoning

• Make sure your home has a working carbon monoxide detector.
• Never use a gas stove or charcoal grill to heat your home. Kerosene heaters and propane space heaters are illegal in New York City.
• Clear snow from your car’s tailpipe before running the engine.  NEVER run your car inside a garage or against a snowbank as carbon monoxide can build up inside your car or garage. 
• If a carbon monoxide detector sounds or you smell gas, open nearby windows then go outside and call 911.
• For more information on how to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, visit Carbon Monoxide.

Paying for heating

Call 311 if you are having difficulty paying for heat or repairing heating equipment. The Human Resources Administration (HRA) provides low-income homeowners and renters emergency heating assistance through the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP).  Emergency assistance is given to those who qualify only once per heating season.

Home Energy Saving Tips
Discover how you can save energy at home and implement simple changes that can result in lower utility bills.

Civil Penalties

HPD may start a court proceeding related to heat violations or hot water violations.  You can see if there is an open heat and water case through HPDONLINE under the litigation tab.   

The agency can seek the following penalties, effective on the posting date of the Notice of Violation until the date that the violation is corrected:

• $250-$500 dollars per day for each initial heat or hot water violation
• $500-$1,000 per day for each subsequent violation at the same building during the same and/or the next calendar year from the initial violation or, during the same and/or the next heat season

If the owner fails to pay the Court ordered civil penalties, HPD will enter a judgment against the owner and the property and seek to enforce that judgment.

Eligibility for payment in satisfaction of civil penalties

Some owners may be eligible to satisfy the potential civil penalty by submitting a $250 payment with a timely Notice of Correction. The Notice of Violation will clearly indicate whether the violation is eligible for payment in satisfaction of civil penalties, based on whether the heat violation is the first such violation of the current or prior heat season, or the hot water violation is the first such violation of the current or previous calendar year. An owner who chooses to submit a Notice of Correction and payment in satisfaction may do so by mail or by using eCertification. The condition must be fixed within 24 hours of the violation posting (the same as the inspection date), and the $250 payment must be made within 10 days. Payment can be made via credit card or debit card (there is a 2% convenience fee for credit cards), or by certified check or money order. If the Notice of Correction and payment are not received within the 10 day period, HPD may pursue an order to correct and receive civil penalties in Housing Court.

Inspection Fee

HPD will charge a $200 fee for all inspections after the first two that result in a heat violation within the same heat season (October through May) or a hot water violation within a calendar year. This fee is in addition to any civil penalties that may be imposed by the Housing Court. This fee is not paid directly to HPD, but will be billed to the owner through the Department of Finance on the quarterly bill following the inspection. All unpaid fees become a debt owed by the owner and a lien upon the premises. The tax lien will bear interest and may be sold and/or foreclosed to collect the amount owed through the City’s Tax Lien Sale.

HPD Heat Complaint Statistics as of 4/21/2026

Day with Highest Complaint Volume Current Heat Season