# Housing Temperature Safety Act of 2022

This bill requires landlords to maintain minimum and maximum indoor temperatures in rental housing units to protect tenants' health and safety. Specifically, it sets standards that rental properties must meet during heating and cooling seasons—ensuring homes stay warm enough during winter months and cool enough during summer months. The bill applies to residential rental properties across the country, establishing baseline temperature requirements that landlords must follow or face penalties.

The practical impact is straightforward: if you rent your home, your landlord would be legally required to keep your apartment or house at livable temperatures year-round. During winter, landlords couldn't let heating fail and leave you in dangerously cold conditions. During summer, they'd need to maintain adequate cooling. This protects vulnerable populations like elderly people, children, and those with health conditions who can suffer serious harm from extreme indoor temperatures. Currently, temperature standards vary widely by state and locality, so this bill would create uniform federal protections for renters nationwide.

The bill also likely includes provisions for tenants to report violations and for enforcement mechanisms—meaning if a landlord fails to maintain proper temperatures, tenants would have legal recourse and landlords could face fines or other penalties. This addresses a real problem many renters face: unresponsive landlords who ignore maintenance issues like broken heating or air conditioning systems. By establishing clear federal requirements, the bill aims to ensure that no renter has to choose between paying rent and living in unsafe temperature conditions.

Housing Temperature Safety Act of 2022

Gillibrand, Kirsten E.

Housing Temperature Safety Act of 2022 This bill requires owners of certain federally assisted rental dwelling units to install temperature sensors in those units within a year after the bill is enacted. The bill also requires those owners to record the temperature in those units at least six times each day and to report that information to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.