Heat season in New York City officially ends on May 31, 2026. After that date, the legal protections that have governed your building’s boiler since October 1, 2025 expire — and the way 311 handles your complaints fundamentally changes. If you’re still going to bed in a cold apartment, the next three weeks are your last best window to file a complaint that actually triggers HPD enforcement under heat-season rules.
Who This Helps
This guide is for tenants in private residential buildings across all five boroughs who are still experiencing inadequate heat, no hot water, or a landlord who has shut down the boiler early to save money. It also helps tenants who want to understand what changes on June 1 when the city pivots from heat complaints to excessive heat (cooling-related) complaints, and the rules that apply year-round to hot water.
What the Law Actually Requires Until May 31
The NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) sets two strict temperature rules during the legal heat season, which runs from October 1 through May 31:
- Daytime (6:00 AM – 10:00 PM): If the outside temperature is below 55°F, your apartment must be at least 68°F.
- Overnight (10:00 PM – 6:00 AM): Your apartment must be at least 62°F — with no outside temperature trigger. It applies every night during heat season regardless of how warm it is outside.
Hot water is a separate, year-round requirement. Building owners must provide hot water 365 days per year at a constant minimum temperature of 120°F. That rule does not pause when heat season ends — if your hot water drops below 120°F on June 1, July 4, or December 24, you can still file a 311 complaint.
The May Trap: Why Late-Season Complaints Matter More Than You Think
Some building owners begin winding down boiler operations in late spring to save on fuel after a string of warm days, even though their legal obligation continues until May 31. A 65°F afternoon outside doesn’t repeal the law — your apartment is still required to hit 68°F when the outside dips below 55°F at night or in the early morning hours.
Late-season complaints also tend to get resolved faster because the city’s complaint queue is shorter than it is in February. HPD’s published statistics tell that story clearly: during the current heat season through March 3, 2026, the agency had logged 288,530 heat complaints citywide — already higher than the 235,533 complaints recorded by the same point in the previous season. The single-day record this season was 2/8/2026, when New Yorkers filed 6,144 heat complaints in one 24-hour stretch.
By May, those numbers fall off significantly, which means an inspector can typically reach your address faster than they could during the February peak.
How to Take Action: Filing a 311 Heat Complaint Before May 31
Before filing, the city asks you to first contact your landlord, managing agent, or superintendent. If you live in a co-op or condo, report the issue to the management company or board first. If they don’t respond — or if heat has been out for an unreasonable amount of time — escalate to 311.
- By phone: Dial 311 (or TTY (212) 504-4115) — available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Online: Visit portal.311.nyc.gov and select Report Problems.
- Mobile app: Use the NYC311 mobile app.
- Track existing complaints: Use HPDONLINE to check the status of your complaint or to see whether your building has open heat violations.
When you file, you’ll need to provide your contact information — the city uses it to call you back and confirm whether service was restored. If a Code Enforcement inspector is sent and English isn’t your primary language, tell the inspector and they will request a translator.
What Happens After You File
HPD first attempts to notify the building owner or managing agent that a complaint has been filed and a violation may be issued if the condition isn’t corrected. The agency will also call you back to verify whether heat was restored. If you indicate it was, the complaint is closed.
If the condition wasn’t corrected or HPD can’t reach you, a uniformed Code Enforcement inspector is dispatched. The inspector doesn’t notify the owner of the inspection date in advance. While on-site, the inspector will also check for other safety conditions: non-working smoke detectors, non-working carbon monoxide detectors, lead-based paint (if a child under six lives in the unit), window guards (if a child under 11 lives in the unit), self-closing dwelling unit entrance doors, mold, mice, cockroaches, rats, and gates or bars on fire-escape windows.
What It Costs the Landlord — and Why That Matters to You
HPD typically pursues court proceedings for all heat violations and some hot water violations. Civil penalties are not minor:
- $250 to $500 per day for each initial heat or hot water violation.
- $500 to $1,000 per day for each subsequent violation at the same building during the same or next calendar year, or during the same or next heat season.
- $200 inspection fee for all inspections after the first two that result in a heat violation in the same heat season (or a hot water violation in a calendar year).
If the owner fails to restore heat or hot water after a violation is issued, HPD’s Emergency Repair Program may contract with private companies to restore service and bill the owner for the cost plus related fees. If the owner doesn’t pay, the city files a tax lien against the property — and that lien can be sold or foreclosed to collect what’s owed.
What Changes on June 1
On June 1, 2026, the city pivots from heat complaints to excessive heat complaints — which are only accepted between June 1 and September 30. If your apartment is dangerously hot in July, 311 has a separate intake category for that. The hot water rule continues unchanged year-round.
If you have an unresolved cold-apartment complaint pending on May 31, HPD can still pursue enforcement on the underlying violation because it was filed during heat season. But new heat complaints filed on or after June 1 no longer trigger heat-season rules.
If Your Landlord Retaliates
It is illegal in New York City for a building owner to harass tenants or pressure them to surrender their rights. Tenant harassment can include repeated interruptions of essential services (heat, water, electricity) or failing to provide necessary repairs. If your landlord is retaliating because you filed a 311 complaint, you can report harassment by calling 311 or visiting the city’s Tenant Harassment page.
Tenants in rent-controlled or rent-stabilized apartments have additional protections through HPD’s Rent Regulated Apartments resources.
Document Everything
If you may need to take your landlord to Housing Court — for repairs, damages, or repeated heat violations — document every contact with your landlord and HPD about the conditions in your apartment. Keep texts, emails, voicemails, and any photos showing thermometer readings inside your unit. Note the dates and times you reported the issue, both to your landlord and to 311.
Free Legal Help if You Need It
Under NYC’s Right-to-Counsel program, all NYC tenants facing eviction in Housing Court qualify for free legal representation through Universal Access — available in every ZIP code regardless of immigration status. If you want to talk to a lawyer before going to court, call:
- Legal Aid Society Manhattan: 212-426-3000
- Legal Aid Society Brooklyn: 718-722-3100
- Legal Aid Society Bronx: 718-991-4600
- Legal Aid Society Queens: 718-286-2450
- Legal Aid Society Staten Island: 347-422-5333
- Legal Aid Society main line: 212-577-3300
This is general information, not legal advice. Contact a lawyer for your specific situation.
The Bottom Line
You have until May 31, 2026 to file a complaint under heat-season rules. After that, your complaint shifts to year-round habitability and hot water rules — still enforceable, but with a different legal threshold. If your apartment has been chronically cold this spring, file before the deadline. If you’ve already filed and the condition isn’t resolved, escalate through HPDONLINE or call your borough’s Legal Aid office. The point of 311 isn’t just to complain — it’s to put a paper trail in front of HPD, and ultimately in front of a Housing Court judge, that proves your landlord didn’t do what the law required.
