Maintaining Services

Owners and contractors must not only outline how tenants will be kept safe during construction, they must also outline how they will maintain basic services for heat, hot water, cold water, gas, electricity, or other utility services.

No heat or hot water?

Tenants without heat or hot water should file a complaint by calling 311 (TTY 212-504-4115) or online at nyc.gov/311. If services are disrupted as a result of construction, call OTA so OBM can conduct a TPP compliance inspection.

Heat is required between October 1st and May 31st, a period designated as Heat Season. Building owners are required to provide tenants with heat during these months under the following conditions:

• When the outside temperature is below 55 degrees Fahrenheit between the hours of 6am and 10pm, building owners must heat apartments to at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit. HPD can only issue violations if the owner fails to supply adequate heat when the outside temperature is below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Between the hours of 10pm and 6am, regardless of the outside temperature, building owners must heat apartments to at least 62 degrees.
• Building owners also must ensure that tenants have hot water 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, at a minimum constant temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Gas Leaks

Gas leaks can create fires and explosions. It's important that you and your family know how to recognize a gas leak and what do if you suspect a leak. Recognize a gas leak by the following senses.

• Smell. A distinctive, strong odor – similar to rotten eggs.
• Sight. A white cloud, mist, fog, bubbles in standing water, blowing dust, or vegetation that appears to be dead or dying for no reason.
• Sound. A roaring, hissing, or whistling.

If you suspect a gas leak has occurred, take the following actions:

1. Quickly open nearby doors and windows and then leave the building immediately; do not attempt to locate the leak. Do not turn on or off any electrical appliances, do not smoke or light matches or lighters, and do not use a house-phone or cell phone within the building.
2. After leaving the building, from a safe distance away from the building, call 911 immediately to report the suspected gas leak.
3. After calling 911, call the gas service provider for this building.

When your lease is signed or at your first lease renewal, the property owner should provide you with HPD’s Suspected Gas Leak Notice, which describes the procedures to follow when a gas leak is suspected. Property owners may also choose to post to the Combined Notice for smoke detectors/carbon monoxide detectors and gas leak notice.