Mamdani Pledges to Inspect Every Heat Complaint
It may not feel like it yet, but heat season is upon us in New York City — and it’s back with a vengeance.
Starting this week, landlords are expected to maintain indoor temperatures at 68 degrees during the day when the outside temperature drops below 55 degrees, and 62 degrees at night regardless of outdoor conditions.
Versions of this requirement have been on the books for more than a century, but this year’s heat season may feel a bit different, after the Mamdani administration pledged to beef up its inspections to address every tenant complaint down to the individual unit.
Standard practice for the Department of Housing Preservation and Development had been to inspect a sampling of units across any building that had multiple heat and hot water complaints, but the agency’s new goal under the mayor’s housing plan comes with increased headcount to accommodate a higher volume of inspections.
HPD staff headcount has grown to 320 inspectors, up about 11 percent over the past five years, with more added as part of the mayor’s Block-by-Block housing plan, HPD Commissioner Dina Levy said on WNYC this week.
The goal to inspect every heat complaint individually puts owners under the magnifying glass, with HPD placing greater scrutiny on buildings’ heating systems and energy efficiency against a backdrop of skyrocketing fuel and maintenance costs.
As part of this new push, the Mamdani administration is also encouraging owners to take advantage of the revived J-51 program, which offers tax abatements for energy improvements and weatherization, among other upgrades. City Council renewed the tax break for 10 years and increased the benefit cap to cover up to 100 percent of what the city deems reasonable project costs, up from 70 percent in its previous iteration. The reauthorization and expansion of J-51 will also help building owners make necessary energy efficiency upgrades to comply with Local Law 97.
Levy didn’t mince words about HPD’s intention to rigorously inspect units across their buildings, step in to help owners repeat violations with repairs or bring litigation in chronic cases of willful neglect.
During the last heat season from October 2025 through May 2026, HPD reported 344,437 heat complaints, up 22 percent from the previous season. A major cold snap earlier this year brought the highest single-day volume of heat complaints on Feb. 8, when 6,144 were filed or called into 311.
“We have new tax abatement programs, we have new capital programs where we can actually make loans to help landlords address conditions,” Levy said. “Landlords who want to do right by their tenants and their buildings should consider HPD an ally and consider our doors open to assist them however they need.
What we’re thinking about: Will the Mamdani administration carry out business as usual when addressing heat issues across the city’s aging residential buildings? Or will this turn into another headache facing landlords? Let me know at ben.miller@therealdeal.com.
A thing we’ve learned: Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the Peanuts comic strip made its debut 76 years ago on Oct. 2, 1950. Joe Cool, the laid-back alter ego of Snoopy sporting shades, will make his first appearance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade next month, marking the 10th Snoopy balloon design in the parade’s 100-year history.
Elsewhere…
— Heat season also means the arrival of flu season and lawmakers always like to make a show of getting their flu shots. Mayor Mamdani and vanquished election opponent Curtis Sliwa joined forces to receive vaccinations from Alister Martin, who heads the city’s New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, ABC7 reported. They even held hands while Sliwa got his shot, cementing another one of the mayor’s unlikely Republican alliances.
— Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez will clear outstanding warrants for residents who failed to answer minor summonses this weekend, after a recent spike in NYPD quality-of-life violations contributed to a “staggering backlog” of cases, Gothamist reported. The tickets in question include low-level offenses like being in a park after dark, walking a dog off leash or smoking in a restricted area, Gonzalez said.
— New guidance issued this week by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development will allow more than $600 million in congressionally appropriated funds to be used as rental assistance as Emergency Housing Vouchers expire, though it is unclear how much of that total New York City will receive, according to The City Reporter. Housing advocates breathed a sigh of relief, but called for more details from the Trump administration.
Closing time
Residential: The most expensive residential sale recorded Friday was $10.2 million for 400 West 12th Street, 6C. The West Village condo is 2,600 square feet. Compass’ Hudson Advisory Team had the listing.
Commercial: The most expensive commercial transaction was $72 million for 104-04 Ditmars Boulevard. The site, which serves as the DoubleTree by Hilton LaGuardia Airport, was transferred to PH LGA Hotel LLC, per records
New to the Market: The highest price for a residential property hitting the market is $59 million for 1143 Fifth Avenue. The Carnegie Hill townhome is 21,000 square feet and is being marketed as both a seven-story, single-family mansion or boutique condominium rental. Corcoran’s Carrie Chiang has the listing.
— Joseph Jungermann
