Landlord Heat Requirements in 8 Cold States and Cities, With the Dates Heat Must Be On

Landlord heat requirements set the lowest indoor temperature a landlord must keep during a set heating season. In seven of the eight places below, the rule is built around 68 degrees. Night rules, season dates and who pays the fuel change from place to place. So the same cold apartment can be legal in one city and a violation in the next.

Heat season is open right now in all six places below that set calendar dates. Philadelphia alone logged 1,352 no-heat complaints in 2025, and more than 40 percent of them ended in a violation. Massachusetts also moved the end of its heating season to May 31, yet older pages online still show the old June date.

Nobody wants to argue with a landlord while wearing a coat indoors.

What Landlord Heat Requirements Actually Cover

These minimum heat requirements put the duty on the landlord or building owner. They cover the rooms people live in. Chicago lists rooms used for sleeping, eating, cooking, working or recreation, plus bathrooms. Massachusetts names every habitable room and every room with a toilet, shower or bathtub.

A space heater does not fix the problem in the eyes of the law. The Chicago heat ordinance says portable space heaters, cooking appliances and fireplaces cannot be used to meet the minimum. The Massachusetts sanitary code says the same about portable space heaters.

Some places also set a ceiling. Massachusetts says the heating system may not push any room above 78 degrees during the heating season.

Landlord Heat Requirements by Place, Side by Side

The table below comes from each official page, statute or legal aid page, read in full. Where a page does not give a number, the table says so.

Where These Numbers Come From

New York City rules come from the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development heat page. Chicago numbers come from the City of Chicago heat ordinance page. Philadelphia dates come from a January 2026 notice from the city Department of Licenses and Inspections.

Massachusetts hours come from 105 CMR 410.180, and the state law library page on winter heating confirms the September 15 to May 31 season. Minnesota is Minnesota Statutes 504B.161. New Jersey is N.J.A.C. 5:10-14.4, part of the state rules for hotels and multiple dwellings.

Maine is Title 14, section 6021. The Vermont statute only says a landlord who provides heat must supply a reasonable amount at all times. Those 65 degree and 55 degree numbers come from Vermont Legal Aid, which explains what Vermont rules require.

The Longest Heat Seasons on This List

Some of these heat seasons cover most of the year. Chicago and Massachusetts both start on September 15. Chicago runs to June 1. Massachusetts runs to May 31. That is about eight and a half months of required heat.

New York City comes next, at eight months. New Jersey runs about seven and a half months. Minnesota and Philadelphia run from October 1 to April 30, which is seven months.

Maine and Vermont work differently. Their rules follow the weather, not the calendar. Maine sets its test at minus 20 degrees outside. Vermont ties heat to any time it is colder than 55 degrees outside.

Local rules can move the dates. In Massachusetts, a board of health may end the season as early as May 15 or start it as late as September 30. Cambridge did exactly that in May 2026, when it ended its season on May 18.

Maine Lets Tenants Trade Some Heat for Lower Rent

Maine allows a landlord and tenant to agree on heat below 68 degrees. The statute sets strict conditions for that deal.

• It must be a separate written document, apart from the lease, in plain English and at least 12-point type.
• Both sides must sign it.
• Either side can cancel it with reasonable notice.
• A minimum temperature must be written in, and it cannot be below 62 degrees.
• It must state a rent reduction that is fair and reasonable.
• No such deal is allowed if anyone over 65 or under 5 lives in the unit.

Here is a hypothetical example. A tenant agrees to 64 degrees in exchange for $40 off a $1,100 monthly rent. Over seven months, that is $280 kept. Either side can end the deal with reasonable notice.

Who Pays the Heating Bill

The heat rules and the heat bill are two separate questions. In Chicago, a tenant with heating equipment inside the unit may be required to pay the gas or electric bill. The owner still has to keep that equipment working and able to reach 68 degrees.

New Jersey sets a narrow exception. Under its multiple dwelling rules, the owner supplies the fuel even if a contract tries to shift it. The owner is off the hook only when the tenant agrees in writing and the unit has its own heating equipment that is billed separately.

When the heating bill itself starts climbing, the monthly plan can shift too:

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What Happens When a Landlord Ignores the Rules

Penalties are real in the big cities. New York City says it can seek $250 to $500 a day for a first heat violation, and $500 to $1,000 a day for later violations at the same building. After the first two violation inspections in one heat season, the city adds a $200 fee for each one.

Chicago lists fines of $500 to $1,000 per day, per violation. The city page adds that the reason for the missing heat does not matter.

Massachusetts treats a failure to provide heat as a condition that endangers health and safety. Tenants there have a right to an inspection after a complaint.

Here is a hypothetical Chicago case. One violation lasts 4 days. The table shows what the listed fine range could add up to.

A range like that gives a landlord a strong reason to fix the heat fast.

Steps Tenants Take When the Heat Goes Out

Put together, the official pages above suggest this order.

1. Measure in the right spot. Massachusetts measures 5 feet above the floor, on a wall more than 5 feet from an outside wall. Maine uses 3 feet from outside walls and 5 feet up.
2. Write down the time and the outdoor temperature. New York City daytime rules only apply when it is below 55 degrees outside.
3. Tell the landlord first, in writing if possible. New York City lists this as the first step.
4. Keep a dated log with photos of the thermometer. New York City inspectors record the time, the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature.
5. File a complaint if nothing changes. New York City, Chicago and Philadelphia all use 311. New York City allows anonymous complaints.
6. Skip the oven. Philadelphia calls stoves and ovens used for heat illegal and unsafe. New York City warns against gas stoves for heat too.

Honestly, a cheap thermometer and a notebook do more work here than an angry phone call.

Tenants who pay their own heat face a money problem, not a landlord problem. On October 5, 2026, a Massachusetts executive order expanded home heating aid to families earning 60 to 100 percent of the state median income. In New York City, the housing department says to call 311 for help paying for heat.

A heating bill that falls behind can also bring a different kind of letter:

A Shut Off Notice Starts a Clock, and 5 States Count It Differently in Winter

Track the Cold Months on Paper

Heat problems and heat bills tend to show up in the same months. Keeping rent, utilities and every repair request in one place makes the pattern easy to see. If that sounds useful, here is a free monthly bill sheet that keeps rent and heating costs side by side.

Tenants who set up heat in their own name often hit one more cost at the start:

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One Rule Does Not Fit Every Building

Landlord heat requirements change with the city, the state, the type of building and who pays the fuel. Landlord heat laws also differ on night rules and fines. Philadelphia exempts single-family homes. New Jersey rules here cover apartment buildings under its multiple dwelling code. Your lease, your town and your heating setup all matter.

Which surprised you more, the Chicago fine range or the Maine heat-for-rent deal?

Disclaimer: MoneyWisePro is not a law firm or financial advisor. This article is for general information only and is not financial or legal advice. Contact your local housing agency or a tenant attorney for guidance on your specific situation.