For those budding meterologists looking closely at the hour by hour weather
in Minneapolis, heat would be legally required right now in Minneapolis.
It's been below 60 degrees for more than 24 hours at this point. But, once
the thermometer hits 60 later today, that inane requirement of the 24 hour
continuous period of below 60 degree temperature goes back into effect.
Every year in Minneapolis it's the same around this time--with heat
required, then not required, then required, then not required, until it
finally truly gets cold. With potential fluctuations in Minneapols around
this time of 40 or more degrees between night and day, the ordinance really
is pretty wacky and is in need of review to provide better guidance and
compliance (and less headache and explanation for housing inspectors). For
the most part, landlords are supplying heat at tenants' requests, but there
are times when you need an ordinance to protect tenants from really being
cold when it gets down to 32 or so at night but ekes up to 60 or 61 during
the day.
Gregory Luce
St. Paul
For Minneapolis landlords and tenants out there, a Project 504 public
service announcement on heat. This info has already appeared on our
separate TenantNet list serv, so apologies for those receiving it twice.
Due to the recent cold weather at night, we are getting our annual heat and
e-mail calls. We thought we'd set out what's required in the two cities.
The skinny for both is this: heat is NOT legally required at this point in
Minneapolis, while in St. Paul it can be required if the interior of the
unit is not up to at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Here's the legal mumbo
jumbo:
MINNEAPOLIS
Minneapolis Ordinance 244.430 and 244.460 provide the level of heat a
landlord must provide for tenants, which is generally 68 degrees, measured
at a distance 36 inches above floor level and not closer than 36 inches from
any wall. NOTE, however, that the requirement is only in effect when the
outside temperature is 60 degrees or below for a continuous 24 hour period.
244.430. Heating facilities. The owner of every building containing
habitable rooms shall provide heating facilities and shall be required to
see that said heating facilities are properly installed, safely maintained
and in good working condition, and that said facilities are capable of
safely and adequately heating all habitable rooms, bathrooms and toilet
rooms located therein to a temperature of at least sixty-eight (68) degrees
Fahrenheit, measured at a distance of thirty-six (36) inches above floor
level, and not closer than thirty-six (36) inches from any wall at all times
when the outside temperature is at the design level or above.
244.460. Supplied heating to habitable rooms or parts thereof. Every owner
or operator of any building who rents, leases or lets for human habitation
any habitable room contained within such building on terms, either expressed
or implied, to supply or furnish heat to the occupants thereof, shall
maintain a minimum temperature of sixty-eight (68) degrees Fahrenheit,
measured in accordance with section 244.430, in all such habitable rooms and
bath and toilet rooms let in conjunction therewith, whenever the outside
temperature is sixty (60) degrees Fahrenheit, or below, for any continuous
twenty-four-hour period.
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