NYC heat and hot water rules: the temperatures, the inspections and what a violation costs

Published 10/17/2026 · 6 min read · By Bulwark

HPD logged more than 344,000 heat complaints in the 2025–26 heat season. Heat and hot water are also the violations that get expensive fastest. The rules are short; the enforcement is not.

The rules

The day rule only applies when it is below 55°F outside. HPD inspectors record the outdoor temperature at every inspection, and a daytime heat violation can only be issued if it was below 55°F at that time. The night rule has no such condition.

What happens after a tenant calls 311

1. HPD calls you

   HPD tries to reach the owner or managing agent on file to say the building may have no heat. This is why the phone number on your HPD registration matters.

2. HPD checks with the tenant

   If the tenant says heat is back, the complaint closes. If not, or if HPD cannot reach them, an inspector is sent.

3. The inspection

   The inspector measures inside and out. Anonymous complaints get a randomly chosen apartment.

4. The violation

   If the temperature is below the rule, a Class C violation is issued. You have 24 hours to restore service.

What a violation costs

• Civil penalties of $250 to $500 per day for each first heat or hot water violation, and $500 to $1,000 per day for each later one at the same building in the same or next heat season (or calendar year, for hot water). They run from the posting date until corrected, and HPD collects them in Housing Court, with a judgment against you and the property if unpaid.
• A $200 inspection fee for every inspection after the first two that finds a heat violation in the same season (or hot water violation in the same calendar year), billed on your Department of Finance statement. Unpaid, it becomes a tax lien.
• Emergency repairs. If you do not restore service, HPD’s Emergency Repair Program can hire a contractor to do it and bill the property, plus fees, when the inside temperature was below 64°F by day or 58°F at night. See the Emergency Repair Program guide.

Paying $250 instead of going to court

For a first heat violation of the current or prior season, or a first hot water violation of the current or prior year, the Notice of Violation will say it is eligible for payment in satisfaction. Restore service within 24 hours, file the Notice of Correction (by mail or eCertification), and pay $250 within 10 days. Miss the 10 days and HPD can take it to Housing Court for the full daily penalties.

Getting ahead of it

• Have the boiler serviced and the annual inspection done before October 1, not after the first complaint
• Put a temperature sensor in a few apartments, top floor and the end of each riser, so you see a problem before the tenant does
• Keep the HPD registration current with a phone that answers at night
• Log every outage, the call to the boiler company and the time service came back; it is your evidence if a violation is disputed
• Answer tenant calls the same day; most 311 heat complaints start with a call the owner did not return

Heat season monitoring, boiler maintenance and 24-hour response are part of full management. Open heat violations on a building show up in the free violation check.