Your place · When something goes wrong

No heat, and using a space heater safely

Tell your landlord in writing the day the heat goes out. Working heat is part of a livable home, and some cities set exact temperatures. Until it's fixed, a space heater can help: keep it 3 feet from anything that burns, plug it straight into the wall, and turn it off when you leave or sleep.

Easy15 minFree; a space heater if you need oneChecked October 3, 2026

You'll need

Your landlord's repair or emergency contact
Your phone, for photos and a thermometer reading
A space heater that shuts off if it tips over

What to know

Check the simple stuff first. Is the thermostat set to heat and turned up? Batteries in it? Breaker tripped? If you have a gas furnace and smell gas, leave and call the gas company from outside.
Tell your landlord in writing today. Photos, dated written repair requests, and how long the problem has lasted are what California's tenant guide says to keep. Source: California DRE¹
Know heat is a must. California lists heating facilities in good working order as part of a habitable home. Source: California DRE¹ New York counts a lack of regular heat as a breach of a tenant's right to a livable home. Source: New York AG²
Know if your city sets numbers. In New York City, from October 1 to May 31, it must be at least 68°F inside from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. when it's below 55°F outside, and at least 62°F overnight no matter the weather. Tenants report problems to 311. Source: NYC HPD³
Pick a safe space heater. Look for one that shuts off automatically if it falls over, and set it on a level, hard, nonflammable surface. Source: Red Cross⁷
Keep it 3 feet from anything that can burn: curtains, bedding, furniture, clothes. Source: USFA⁵ Plug it straight into a wall outlet, not an extension cord or power strip, as the CPSC video below says.
Turn it off when you leave the room or go to bed. Source: NFPA⁴ Space heaters are in about 30% of home heating fires but about 73% of the deaths. Source: NFPA⁴
Never heat with the oven. Source: USFA⁵ Never run a generator, grill or camp stove inside; generators go outdoors, away from doors, windows and vents. Source: USFA⁶

Watch out Carbon monoxide has no smell. Fuel-burning heaters and furnaces that aren't working or vented right can produce it, so have a CO alarm outside each sleeping area and on every level. Source: USFA⁶ If it goes off, get outside and call 911.

Text to your landlord

Hi [name], this is [your name] in [unit #]. The heat stopped working [today/last night] at about [time]. It's [temperature]°F inside. I've checked the thermostat and breaker. Can someone come today? Please let me know when to expect them.

Follow-up if nothing happens

Hi [name], following up on my message from [date] about no heat in [unit #]. It's still out and it's [temperature]°F inside. Please confirm a repair time today. I'm keeping a record of the dates and temperatures.

Space heater checklist

Do	Don't
Tip-over shutoff, level hard surface	Rugs, beds or couches
3 feet from anything that burns	Curtains, bedding or clothes nearby
Straight into the wall	Extension cords or power strips
Off when you leave or sleep	Running it unattended

From the Red Cross, Source: Red Cross⁷ USFA, Source: USFA⁵ NFPA Source: NFPA⁴ and the CPSC video below.

See it done

Video by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Government

Space Heater Safety

Watch on YouTube: Space Heater Safety

2018 · Checked October 3, 2026

A one-minute safety message from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, from 2018. Short, but every tip in it still holds.

Video won't load at school or work? No problem. Everything you need is in the steps; the video's just a bonus. Watch it on YouTube later.

If it doesn't work

Landlord not fixing it? In California, a tenant must give the landlord a reasonable time to repair; the law usually considers 30 days reasonable, but less can be reasonable depending on the situation. Source: California DRE¹ No heat in winter is the kind of problem where days, not weeks, matter. Call your city's housing or code enforcement office.
Worried the landlord will retaliate? California law prohibits retaliation; contact legal aid or a tenant program if it happens. Source: California DRE¹ See Your rights as a tenant.
Too cold to stay? Go to family, friends or a warming center, and keep texting the landlord with updates and photos.

Good to know

The details, if you want them. Tap a line to open it.

When heating fires happen

Nearly half of home heating equipment fires happen from December through February. Source: NFPA⁴

Take it with you

Printable card Download card (PDF)

Sources

California Department of Real Estate California tenants guide: dealing with problems
New York Attorney General Residential tenants' rights guide
NYC Housing Preservation and Development Heat and hot water information
National Fire Protection Association Home heating safety
U.S. Fire Administration Heating fire safety
U.S. Fire Administration Carbon monoxide
American Red Cross Cooking, heating leading causes of home fires

Lesson H2.6 · Last checked October 3, 2026 against the sources listed.

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