You couldn’t imagine how cold it can truly get inside a home with no heating during the winter until you’ve experienced it for yourself. It’s a kind of cold that gets into your bones. Extra layers won’t stop it creeping it, either. A woman in New York has been experiencing just that but with a twist—it’s happening right under her own apartment roof. How is a landlord able to get away with freezing out their tenants? Well, it’s simple: they will until you say something about.
TikToker Fatsmcbutts69420, Daniella, shared a video of herself calling her apartment’s property manager (PM), which Daniella mentions in the comments is a “third-party company hired by the landlord.” She starts off by stating, “This is in violation of the Warranty of Habitability.” According to Daniella, this call was meant to find out why her building isn’t being heated, “per state law,” and why it hasn’t been “rectified before.”
The Warranty of Habitability is a long list of conditions that have to be met in New York for apartments to be livable. The bottom line is that landlords legally have to provide tenants with safe and sanitary living conditions. Heat and electricity are two of the conditions, and going without is a violation of your tenant rights.
Immediately, the PM acts like Daniella wants to cause trouble. “What are you trying to get at, ‘cause it sounds like you’re trying to pick on something.” Daniella tells her no. This is to advocate for her and everyone else in the building.
In the comments, Daniella explains they weren’t initially told this at the beginning of renting. Unfortunately, that comes at a cost because the way it’s done is not energy efficient. More importantly, as Daniella says, it’s “absurdly expensive.”
Despite being polite, Daniella doesn’t get far. The PM tells her she won’t “continue like this,” ignores the questions, and hangs up.
According to Daniella, the electric heating warms the rooms to the legal requirement of 65-degrees Fahrenheit. However, only for “20 minutes at most” before they’re turned off. But for it to even maintain that, the heating has to be set to “78 to 85 degrees continuously,” resulting in tenants paying upwards of “$500 toward energy costs” every single month.
Another person stated, “She wasn’t prepared for someone she couldn’t gaslight.”
One commenter suggested, “Call 311, after I called them and had a rep stop by suddenly my management company could listen REAL GOOD.” With Mayor Mamdani cracking down on slumlords in New York, hopefully Daniella gets somewhere. It isn’t just her life that’s in danger, but kids and the elderly living there, too.
