A New York City councilmember is slated to introduce draft legislation requiring Big Apple landlords to supply air conditioning units to tenants during the hot summer months.
Brooklyn lawmaker Lincoln Restler, who verified the story with Gothamist on Wednesday, indicated he intended to present his bill at the stated meeting on Thursday after a nine-month preparation.
By mandating landlords to make sure renters can cool their houses to at least 78 degrees when it’s 82 degrees or warmer during the summer, the measure aims to replicate the current municipal rule that requires landlords to supply residents with heat during the winter months, according to Restler.
Landlords in the region would have four years to abide by the new regulations, or face steep fines, if Restler’s measure is passed. Within two years of the bill’s enactment, landlords would also have to provide the New York City Housing and Preservation Department with a report outlining their compliance strategies.
“Heat is the number one climate or weather-related killer – not just nationally, but right here in New York City,” Restler told the outlet. “We’ve already suffered three awful heat waves this summer. Can you imagine what it’s like to try to manage it without air conditioning or any cooling device in your apartment?”
Restler expressed his “optimism” on the bill’s ability to secure “the strong-majority support” required for passage in the 51-member house.
For New Yorkers whose total monthly income is less than $3,035, the city already currently provides free air conditioning units. A number of cities, including Chicago and Washington, D.C., have already passed laws mandating renters to have cooling measures.
“We need new policy frameworks that ensure the safety of tenants in their home,” Restler commented. “It’s the job of a landlord to ensure that their apartment is safe and inhabitable – that has come to mean providing cooling during extreme heat events.”
Summertime temperatures in New York City kill an average of 350 people each year, according to city statistics.
