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NYC Lawmakers Want Landlords To Turn Heat On When Indoor Temperatures Drop To 62 Degrees

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Some New York City lawmakers are pushing to have landlords turn the heat on sooner, saying tenants shouldn't have to worry about freezing inside their own homes.

Under current regulations, landlords don't have to provide heat unless it's 55 degrees inside and 40 degrees outside, WCBS 880's Peter Haskell reported.

"That's extremely cold for a regular person's normal immune system. Imagine someone that's sick, imagine elderly, imagine newborn -- that's a problem," City Councilman Jumaane Williams said. 

Williams wants the trigger point to be 62 degrees inside, regardless of the outdoor temperature.

"Anyone that's been in a household at 55 degrees, you feel cold," he said.

The mayor's office has expressed support for the plan, but Williams said a mandatory environmental study has yet to begin.

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