Do this today
- Photograph the condition. Write the date.
- Dial 311 or file with NYC HPD — Tenant Bill of Rights.
- If there is no heat, no water, or a gas smell: 911 or the utility first.
What does “livable” mean in New York City?
Heat, water, sanitation, and structural safety are the usual floor. The exact list is in New York landlord-tenant and summary-proceeding statutes and often in the city housing code NYC HPD — Tenant Bill of Rights enforces. This desk does not reprint temperature charts or hour-counts.
What if nothing happens after I report it?
Keep the request numbers from 311 or NYC HPD — Tenant Bill of Rights. Take that file to legal aid. Do not skip rent on a rumor. If the condition is dangerous tonight — no heat in winter, a gas leak, a collapsed ceiling — treat it as an emergency.
Who do I call in NYC — 311, HPD, HCR, or Housing Court?
They are four different doors. 311 opens a City service request. HPD inspects housing conditions. HCR answers whether a unit is rent-regulated. Housing Court hears possession cases. Calling the wrong one wastes the day you may not have. Match the paper in your hand to the door.
There is no heat or no hot water in my NYC apartment.
That is an HPD conditions problem. Photograph it, write the date, and open a 311 request. If it is dangerous tonight, treat it as an emergency. NYC publishes heat-season and hot-water rules on the Tenant Bill of Rights — we do not reprint the temperature or the hour-count here. Do not skip rent on a rumor.
Can my NYC landlord charge a broker fee?
New York City has additional rules on how broker fees may be charged, and they change. Confirm the current rule on the HPD Tenant Bill of Rights or with legal aid — this desk does not reprint a fee split. Keep every invoice. A fee you already paid is a paper trail, not a closed case.
The New York City layer
HPD handles conditions. HCR handles whether a unit is rent-regulated. Housing Court handles possession. 311 is how you open a City service request. Those four are not interchangeable.
New York landlord-tenant and summary-proceeding statutes (N.Y. Real Prop. Law Art. 7; Real Prop. Acts. and Proc. Law) is the New York floor. We name it. We do not paraphrase a day-count or a dollar cap out of it.
New York City questions
What if there is no heat or no water in New York City?
Treat it as urgent. Dial 311 or file with NYC HPD — Tenant Bill of Rights. If it is dangerous tonight, 911 or the utility. Then write it down and call legal aid before you skip rent.
Who do I call in NYC — 311, HPD, HCR, or Housing Court?
They are four different doors. 311 opens a City service request. HPD inspects housing conditions. HCR answers whether a unit is rent-regulated. Housing Court hears possession cases. Calling the wrong one wastes the day you may not have. Match the paper in your hand to the door.
There is no heat or no hot water in my NYC apartment.
That is an HPD conditions problem. Photograph it, write the date, and open a 311 request. If it is dangerous tonight, treat it as an emergency. NYC publishes heat-season and hot-water rules on the Tenant Bill of Rights — we do not reprint the temperature or the hour-count here. Do not skip rent on a rumor.
Can my NYC landlord charge a broker fee?
New York City has additional rules on how broker fees may be charged, and they change. Confirm the current rule on the HPD Tenant Bill of Rights or with legal aid — this desk does not reprint a fee split. Keep every invoice. A fee you already paid is a paper trail, not a closed case.
What number should I call in New York City?
Danger: 911. Mental-health crisis: 988. City services: 311. Court papers: LawHelp.org the same day. NYC HPD — Tenant Bill of Rights does not replace legal aid when a case is filed.
National answers on this desk
Last reviewed 8 September 2026. Legal information, not legal advice. Not a law firm. hello@renterprotection.org