Brooklyn Heat Complaints Spike In 2016

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — Brooklyn might have just been named the most unaffordable place to live in in the country, but it still has a major problem with providing heat for its residents. Brooklyn saw the highest number of heat complaints out of all five boroughs this year, as well as the greatest spike in heat complaints from last year to this year, according to a new study that analyzed public city data.

There were 18,956 heat-related complaints to 311 in Brooklyn from Oct. to Dec. 18 this year, which is a 25.2 percent increase from the same time period last year, according to the newly released study by RentHop, a data company that aims to help apartment renters.

However, the Bronx was the borough with the highest density of heat complaints in 2016, with 44 complaints were 1,000 rental units. Brooklyn had 29 complaints per 1,000 rental units. Brooklyn also has almost twice as many rental units as the Bronx, and the highest number of rental units in any borough, which could account for its high number of complaints.

All throughout the five boroughs, 311 received 20 percent more heat complaints this year than last year, according to RentHop.

One of the culprits could be the season's first "polar vortex," which brought in 4,339 unique complaints, according to city data.

Here are the addresses in all five boroughs that garnered the highest number of heat complaints, according to RentHop. Just one is in Brooklyn, at 491 E. 52nd St. in Remsen Village.

RentHop has put together an interactive map where you can see each neighborhood, its parameters, and how many heat complaints it received in 2016 vs. 2015.

The time period between Oct. 1 and May 31 is what the city deems "heat season," and the temperature requirements by law during that time are:

It has to be at least 68 degrees F inside between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. if the outside temperature is below 55 degrees.

It has to be at least 55 degrees inside between 10 p.m and 6 a.m. if the temperature outside is below 40 degrees.

If you are experiencing perpetual heat problems, call your landlord, super, or building owner. If that doesn't amount to action, the city says to call 311, and they will send an official from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to come analyze the building. The HPD could fine your landlord for a violation. If the landlord doesn't act then, the HPD will send a contractor to fix the problem for you, which would also be expensive for your landlord and something s/he might want to avoid. RentHop also recommends that you be persistent so that it's difficult for your landlord to ignore you.

You can file a heat complaint and find more information here.

Photo via public domain