Elara recommends that building owners and managers review the specifics of the current Chicago Heat Ordinance for the requirements applicable to their specific building as the type of HVAC system they have will impact the dates of needed compliance. This review may also identify or re-affirm potential projects that may need to be addressed by next year’s heating season to continue to ensure heating ordinance compliance well into the future.
The City of Chicago Heat Ordinance requires that during designated cold weather months, landlords and building owners must provide or supply heat to any habitable spaces, toilet rooms, and bathrooms within apartments, homes and indoor workspaces. Closets, hallways, storage areas, and utility rooms are not considered habitable spaces and therefore do not have minimum temperature requirements set by the ordinance.
Specifically, Chicago’s Heat Ordinance recognizes September 15 through June 1 as its “heat season.” Although landlords and building owners need to provide heat during these months, it does not prevent a building from shutting off heating equipment or operating cooling equipment, as long as minimum required indoor temperatures are metbased on the following building type and end-uses:
Workspaces:
The indoor temperature required for workspaces is 68°F when the space is occupied during the heat season. This minimum temperature does not apply where cold temperatures are required in various workspaces, such as refrigerated warehouses.
Residential Buildings:
For residential buildings with a central heating system and no central cooling (or with independent heating and cooling systems), the minimum indoor temperature requirement from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. is 68°F, and from 10:30 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. is 66°F during the heating season.
Residential buildings where the central heating and cooling are provided via the same system have special rules because a two-pipe dual temperature system takes time to transition between its heating and cooling modes.
- After September 15th once the nighttime outdoor temperature is less than 45°F OR after October 15th (whichever comes first) then the minimum indoor temperature requirement is 64°F at all hours
- First day in May outdoor temperature is greater than 75°F – June 1st the indoor temperature requirement is 64°F at all hours
- Remainder of the heat season has an indoor temperature requirement of 68°F from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and 66°F from 10:30 p.m. to 8:30 a.m.
For residential buildings with individual heating equipment for each unit, the equipment must be capable of providing a minimum indoor temperature of 68°F during the heat season. It is the responsibility of the landlord or owner to keep the heating equipment in good working condition.
It is important to note that portable space heaters, cooking appliances, fireplaces, or domestic water heating equipment cannot be used to meet the minimum heating requirements.
This ordinance only sets minimum temperature requirements for the designated months. The building may still operate in cooling mode as long as the minimum temperature requirements are met.
More information on the Chicago Heat Ordinance can be found here.
