Last updated 2026-07-26
TL;DR
Most cold-climate cities require landlords to supply heat during a set heat season, commonly October 1 through May 31, keeping indoor temperatures around 68°F during the day and 62-65°F at night. Exact dates, minimum temps, and enforcement agencies vary by city, so confirm with your local housing or code office before winter.
When are landlords required to turn on the heat?
Heat rules almost always come from the local housing code, not state law, so the honest answer is "it depends on your city." That said, a strong pattern shows up across cold-weather cities: a defined heat season (often October 1 through May 31 or similar dates) during which the landlord must supply heat capable of keeping units at a minimum temperature. New York City is the clearest example and the one most other cities' rules resemble. Under the city's Housing Maintenance Code, during "Heat Season" (October 1 through May 31), if the outdoor temperature falls below 55°F between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., indoor temperature must be at least 68°F. Between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., indoor temperature must be at least 62°F regardless of outdoor temperature [1]. Chicago runs a similar but stricter overnight rule. The city's heat ordinance requires landlords to maintain 68°F from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and 66°F the rest of the day, during the heating season of September 15 through June 1 [2]. That's one of the longest mandatory heat seasons of any major U.S. city, almost nine months. Minneapolis requires heat to be maintained at a minimum of 68°F during the day and 66°F at night whenever outside temperatures make it necessary, and the city's rental license program treats a working heating system as a baseline habitability requirement checked at inspection [3]. If you're outside these three cities, don't assume your dates match. Some cities set the season shorter (say, November 1 to April 30), some use different daytime/nighttime splits, and some peg the requirement to outdoor temperature triggers rather than fixed calendar dates. Always confirm with your city's housing or code enforcement office before relying on a date you saw online, including this one.
What is the minimum temperature a landlord must provide?
The most common daytime minimum in major U.S. cities is 68°F, with nighttime minimums typically set lower, somewhere between 62°F and 66°F. New York City law sets 68°F during the day (6 a.m. to 10 p.m.) when it's below 55°F outside, and 62°F overnight regardless of outdoor temperature [1]. Chicago sets 68°F from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and 66°F overnight [2]. These numbers exist because indoor temperatures below roughly 64-65°F are associated with increased respiratory illness risk, and prolonged exposure below 12°C (about 54°F) is linked to cardiovascular strain, according to World Health Organization housing and health guidance, which recommends a minimum indoor temperature of 18°C (64.4°F) to protect the health of general populations, with higher minimums for vulnerable groups such as young children and older adults [4]. Some cities also set a hard floor below which heat is a code violation regardless of thermostat setting. If your local ordinance doesn't specify exact degrees, check whether it defers to the state's version of the International Property Maintenance Code, which many jurisdictions adopt with local amendments.
What happens if a landlord doesn't turn on the heat?
Enforcement mechanics vary, but the common tools are code violation fines, emergency repair orders, and in some cities the ability for the tenant or the city to arrange a repair and bill the landlord. In New York City, HPD (Department of Housing Preservation and Development) can issue violations for heat and hot water failures, and repeated or willful failure to provide heat can escalate to significant per-day penalties under the Housing Maintenance Code, with the city authorized to perform emergency repairs and bill the owner [1]. Chicago's municipal code allows tenants to pursue remedies including rent abatement or, in some cases, lease termination for heat violations, and the city can issue citations to landlords who don't comply with the heating ordinance [2]. A heat outage during heat season is one of the fastest ways to draw a habitability complaint, and it's often the complaint that triggers a full rental inspection rather than a narrow one. If your city already requires periodic rental licensing or registration, a heat complaint can pull your whole unit into scrutiny, more than the furnace. That's a good reason to treat heating system maintenance as part of your annual licensing prep, not a separate emergency-only task.
Does the heat rule apply everywhere, or just certain cities?
Heat requirements are local, and they cluster in colder-climate cities and states, not everywhere. There's no single federal law requiring landlords to provide heat. Instead, states and cities each write their own habitability and housing code provisions, and many warmer states have no fixed heat-season date at all because the health risk from cold indoor temperatures is lower. Where states do address heat, it's often folded into implied warranty of habitability law rather than a specific degree-and-date rule. California's implied warranty of habitability, for example, requires "heating facilities that conformed to applicable law at the time of installation, maintained in good working order" as one of the affirmative standard habitability requirements under California Civil Code Section 1941.1 [5], but California doesn't set a statewide calendar heat season the way New York City does. So the real answer is: check your specific city's housing code or rental licensing office first, then check state landlord-tenant statutes second. If you operate in a mandatory rental-licensing city, the heat requirement is very likely baked into the same code that governs your rental license or registration, which means a heat complaint and a licensing violation can arrive together.
What can a landlord look at during a rental inspection?
Rental inspections in licensing cities typically cover life-safety and habitability items: smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, electrical panel condition, plumbing leaks, water heater venting, exit routes, window locks and screens, exterior stairs and railings, and yes, the heating system's presence and basic function. Inspectors are generally not there to judge cleanliness, decor, or a tenant's personal belongings; the focus is code compliance, not housekeeping. Most city inspection checklists are public documents, and it's worth pulling your specific city's version before an inspection date arrives rather than guessing. Chicago's inspection process under its rental registration ordinance, for instance, checks combined life-safety systems including heating, alongside other maintenance issues [2]. If your city requires proof of a working heating system as part of licensing, keep receipts for furnace service, boiler inspections, and any HVAC repairs. A dated invoice from a licensed technician is often the fastest way to close out a heat-related violation without a re-inspection fee.
Who is responsible for the rental walk-through inspection in California?
In California, move-in and move-out walk-through inspections are primarily a landlord-tenant matter governed by security deposit law, not a city inspector's job (unless the property sits in a city with its own rental inspection or licensing program, which some California cities do have). Under California Civil Code Section 1950.5, the landlord (or an agent) conducts the initial move-out inspection if the tenant requests it, and must give the tenant reasonable opportunity to be present, plus an itemized statement of deductions if the security deposit is withheld [6]. Separately, some California cities (San Francisco, Los Angeles, and others) run their own proactive rental inspection or registration programs tied to habitability enforcement, and in those cities, city-designated inspectors, not the landlord, conduct the compliance walk-through. Those are two different processes: one is a deposit-related walk-through between landlord and tenant, the other is a city code inspection. Confirm with your city's housing department which applies to your unit.
How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering or inspecting?
Notice requirements vary by state, but 24 hours is the most common baseline for non-emergency entry, including for inspections and repairs. California requires "reasonable notice," and the same Civil Code Section 1954 presumes 24 hours to be reasonable notice for entry to make repairs or show the unit, absent circumstances suggesting otherwise [7]. Many other states use a similar 24-hour or 24-to-48-hour standard, though exact language differs (some require written notice, some allow verbal). Emergencies are the standard exception nearly everywhere: if there's a burst pipe, gas leak, or fire risk, landlords generally can enter without advance notice. Heat outages sit in an interesting gray zone. A dead furnace in January is arguably an emergency repair situation, which may allow faster entry than a routine inspection would. But it's smart to still give whatever notice is practical (a phone call, a text with a time window) even when the law might not strictly require it, because it heads off disputes.
Why do landlords require renters insurance?
Landlords require renters insurance mainly to shift liability and personal property risk away from the landlord's own policy. A landlord's property insurance covers the building and the landlord's own equipment (including that furnace or boiler), not the tenant's belongings, and it typically doesn't cover a tenant's liability if the tenant accidentally causes damage or an injury to a guest. Renters insurance is inexpensive relative to the protection it buys. The Insurance Information Institute notes that renters insurance is generally sold as a package covering personal property, liability, and additional living expenses, and average premiums tend to run in the range of a few hundred dollars a year rather than the thousand-plus a homeowner might pay . Requiring it is legal in most states as a lease condition, though a handful of states and cities restrict how landlords can require or bundle insurance products. If you're going to require it, put the requirement and proof-of-coverage process in writing in the lease itself (this article isn't the place to draft that clause, but your city or state landlord association likely has a compliant template).
What is landlording, and what is a landlord?
A landlord is the owner (or an authorized agent of the owner) of real property who rents that property to a tenant in exchange for payment, typically under a lease or rental agreement. "Landlording" is the informal, widely used term for the ongoing work of operating that role: screening tenants, maintaining the property, handling repairs, collecting rent, following notice and entry rules, and keeping the unit compliant with local housing and safety codes. It's more than collecting a check. In any city with mandatory rental registration or licensing, landlording also means keeping your registration current, passing periodic inspections, and responding to code violations (heat included) within whatever cure period your city allows. Skipping the administrative side is one of the most common ways new landlords rack up avoidable fines.
How do you become a landlord, and how do you actually do it well?
Becoming a landlord legally usually means three things happening together: you own or control a rental property, you've met your city and state's registration or licensing requirements if any apply, and you've got a lease that complies with your state's landlord-tenant law. There's no license required to "become" a landlord in most of the country the way there is for a contractor or a real estate agent, but the property itself may need registration, and in mandatory rental-licensing cities, you need that license before you can legally collect rent. Doing it well is mostly about front-loading the boring stuff. Know your state's implied warranty of habitability standards (heat, water, structural safety, working plumbing) before you list the unit. Know your local notice-for-entry rule (commonly 24 hours) before your first inspection. Know your heat-season dates and minimum temperatures before the first cold snap, not after a tenant complaint. And if your city requires rental licensing or periodic inspection, get familiar with the checklist early: a rental license and inspection prep resource built for your city's specific ordinance saves a lot of guessing compared to piecing it together from scattered city PDFs. (RentalPermitPath's $79 City Rental License & Inspection Prep Packet at /rental-packet-builder is built exactly for this: pulling together the checklist, fee ranges, and deadlines for a specific city's rental program in one place, though you should always verify current fees and dates with your city office since programs change.)
What rights do tenants have without a lease?
A tenant without a written lease still has real legal rights in every state; the absence of a written lease doesn't waive habitability protections or eviction procedure requirements. Most states recognize a tenancy at will or month-to-month tenancy when there's no written lease but rent is being paid and accepted, and that tenancy still carries the implied warranty of habitability (heat, safe electrical systems, working plumbing) along with standard notice-to-terminate requirements. Heat is part of this. A landlord can't skip heat-season obligations just because there's no signed lease on file; the housing code requirement attaches to the unit and the landlord-tenant relationship, not to a piece of paper. Tenants without leases also generally retain the right to proper eviction notice (rather than a lockout or utility shutoff) and the right to their security deposit back under whatever timeline their state sets, if a deposit was collected.
What can a landlord not do in Ohio?
Ohio landlord-tenant law, under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5321, sets out specific landlord obligations and prohibitions. Landlords must comply with building and housing codes affecting health and safety, keep common areas safe and sanitary, maintain electrical, plumbing, and heating systems in good working order, and supply running water and reasonable amounts of hot water . Ohio law also prohibits retaliatory conduct: under ORC 5321.02, a landlord cannot terminate a tenancy, refuse to renew, or increase rent in retaliation for a tenant reporting a housing code violation or asserting rights under the chapter . Landlords in Ohio also can't shut off utilities, change locks, or remove a tenant's belongings to force them out (a "self-help" eviction); Ohio requires a formal court eviction process instead. Ohio doesn't set a single statewide heat-season calendar the way NYC does, so heat minimums there tend to come from local housing codes in cities like Cleveland or Columbus, or from the general habitability duty in ORC 5321.04 to keep heating in good and safe working order . Check your specific Ohio city's code enforcement office for exact degree and date thresholds.
Frequently asked questions
What date do landlords have to turn the heat on by?
It depends entirely on your city. New York City's heat season runs October 1 through May 31 [1]. Chicago's runs September 15 through June 1 [2]. Many cities have no fixed date at all and instead tie the requirement to outdoor temperature. Check your city's housing code or code enforcement office for the exact date.
What is the legal minimum temperature in an apartment?
In cities with specific rules, 68°F during the day is the most common minimum, with nighttime minimums between 62°F and 66°F. New York City requires 68°F from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. when it's under 55°F outside, and 62°F overnight [1]. Chicago requires 68°F from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and 66°F overnight [2].
Can a landlord be fined for not providing heat?
Yes, in cities with heat ordinances, code violations for missing heat can carry per-day fines, and the city can sometimes make emergency repairs and bill the landlord. New York City's HPD enforces heat violations under the Housing Maintenance Code with escalating penalties for repeat or willful violations [1]. Fine amounts vary by city, so confirm current penalty schedules with your local housing office.
Do landlords have to provide air conditioning too?
Far fewer cities mandate air conditioning than mandate heat, because cold exposure is a more established acute health and safety risk than heat exposure historically was treated as. That's shifting: some cities have started adding cooling requirements after extreme heat events, so check your specific city's current code rather than assuming AC isn't required.
How to become a landlord if I just bought my first rental property?
Confirm your city's rental registration or licensing requirement before you advertise the unit, get a lease that matches your state's landlord-tenant law, and learn your state's habitability standards (heat, water, safety systems) and notice-for-entry rules. If your city requires periodic inspection, request the current checklist early so nothing surprises you at the first walk-through.
Who is responsible for the rental walk-through inspection in California?
For move-out deposit purposes, the landlord conducts the walk-through inspection, giving the tenant a chance to be present if requested, under California Civil Code Section 1950.5 [6]. Separately, some California cities run their own proactive rental inspection programs, where city-designated inspectors, not the landlord, handle the compliance check.
What is landlording?
Landlording is the everyday work of owning and operating rental property: screening tenants, collecting rent, handling maintenance and repairs, meeting habitability standards like heat and safe electrical systems, following notice and entry laws, and keeping any required rental registration or license current with the city.
What rights do tenants have without a signed lease?
Tenants without a written lease generally still have habitability rights (heat, water, safe conditions), the right to proper written notice before eviction, and the right to their security deposit back under state timelines. Most states treat rent-paying occupants without a lease as month-to-month tenants with the same core protections as leased tenants.
Why do landlords require renters insurance?
Landlords require it mainly to cover the tenant's personal belongings and liability, since the landlord's own property insurance doesn't cover tenant possessions or tenant-caused injury liability. It's generally inexpensive, and requiring it as a lease condition is legal in most states, per the Insurance Information Institute's overview of renters coverage [8].
How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering the unit?
Most states use roughly 24 hours as the standard for non-emergency entry, including inspections and repairs. California's Civil Code Section 1954 presumes 24 hours to be reasonable notice absent other circumstances [7]. Emergencies (burst pipes, gas leaks, no-heat situations in some readings) are a common exception allowing faster entry.
What can a landlord look at during an inspection?
Rental inspections typically check life-safety and habitability items: smoke and CO detectors, electrical panels, plumbing, heating system function, exits, and structural safety, not cleanliness or personal belongings. Exact checklists vary by city; pull your city's published rental inspection checklist ahead of time rather than guessing.
What can a landlord not do in Ohio?
Under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5321, landlords can't ignore health and safety code violations, can't retaliate against tenants who report violations (ORC 5321.02), and can't use self-help evictions like lock changes or utility shutoffs [9][10]. Landlords must also keep heating, plumbing, and electrical systems in good working order.
Does a landlord have to provide heat if the tenant controls their own thermostat?
Usually yes, as long as the heating system itself is centrally supplied or the landlord owns the equipment. The habitability duty is about the system working and being capable of reaching the minimum temperature, not about who adjusts the dial day to day. If the tenant supplies their own space heater in a unit with no landlord-provided heat source, check your local code; that's often a separate violation on its own.
Sources
- World Health Organization, WHO Housing and Health Guidelines: WHO recommends a minimum indoor temperature of 18°C (64.4°F) to protect health, with higher minimums for vulnerable groups
- California Legislative Information, Civil Code Section 1941.1: California habitability law requires heating facilities in good working order
- California Legislative Information, Civil Code Section 1950.5: California landlords conduct move-out walk-through inspections and must give tenants a chance to be present
- California Legislative Information, Civil Code Section 1954: California presumes 24 hours to be reasonable notice for landlord entry
- Insurance Information Institute, Renters Insurance overview: Renters insurance covers personal property, liability, and additional living expenses at relatively low average cost
- Ohio Legislature, Ohio Revised Code Section 5321.04: Ohio landlords must maintain heating, plumbing, and electrical systems in good and safe working order
- Ohio Legislature, Ohio Revised Code Section 5321.02: Ohio law prohibits landlord retaliation against tenants who report housing code violations