Complaints about a lack of heat are up 26 percent so far this winter
All of the city's boroughs saw an increase in heat and hot water complaints according to RentHop's annual report.
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Winter is in full effect in New York City—and freezing temperatures outdoors means turning up the heat indoors is a must. But for New Yorkers who live in rental buildings with inadequate heat, the cold can be dire.
Poorly heated apartments are a growing problem in NYC, according to RentHop’s annual heat complaint report. It found that heat and hot water complaints filed to 311 between October 1st, 2021 and January 19th, 2022 were up 26 percent compared to the same period last year.
There were a total of 116,452 complaints filed during this period. All five boroughs saw an increase this year.
The Bronx saw the most heat complaints again, with 27,505 unique heat complaints. Seventeen of the top 20 neighborhoods were also in the borough. Fordham South ranks as the city’s coldest neighborhood with 939 unique complaints, up 27 percent from last year. In Manhattan heat complaints were up 31 percent.
Buildings with the most heat complaints include 2176 Tiebout Ave. in the Bronx with 1,403 total complaints, 2040 Bronxdale Ave. in the Bronx with 531 complaints, and 93 Linden Blvd. in Brooklyn with 168 complaints.
Know your heat rights as a tenant
Heat season runs from October 1st through May 31st. During the day, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., when the outside temperature falls below 55 degrees, landlords are required to make the inside temperature at least 68 degrees. During the overnight hours, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m, landlords are required to make the inside temperature at least 62 degrees.
If you don’t have enough heat in your apartment, contact your super or landlord. (Here are more tips for fixing your radiator). And if your landlord doesn’t resolve the issue, you can file a complaint with 311.
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