Report the loss of heat promptly
Describe the condition rather than guessing which furnace part failed. A useful message identifies your address and apartment, when you last had heat, which rooms are affected, and whether the equipment is silent or running without warming the space. Keep a copy and ask the landlord to confirm the repair arrangements.
Identify which heating requirements apply
The City’s housing handbook says landlords must supply heat at 68°F in rooming houses and buildings with two or more dwelling units from October 1 through April 30. That requirement also applies during May and September when the outdoor temperature falls below 60°F.
There is an important distinction between supplying heat and providing functioning equipment. The handbook says the landlord does not have to supply heat when an apartment has separate permanent heating equipment solely under the tenant’s control. It separately requires landlords to provide safe, properly installed permanent equipment adequate to heat each dwelling.
For a single-family rental, request a specific assessment rather than assuming the same heat-supply rule applies. L&I’s January 30, 2026 advisory identifies single-family homes as exempt from the heating requirements it describes. That exemption should not be read as permission to ignore broken heating equipment; report the failure and ask L&I which equipment-maintenance requirements apply.
Collect observations without attempting repairs
Safely note the thermostat’s displayed temperature and setting. If available, use a separate room thermometer and record the time, room, and reading. Distinguish between a cold apartment throughout and one or two unusually cold rooms. Ask whether neighboring apartments are affected, without entering equipment rooms or other restricted spaces.
These observations help describe the scope; they do not establish the cause. L&I recognizes both completely inoperative systems and systems that run but cannot maintain 68°F as possible no-heat conditions in covered housing. Drafts or poor insulation may contribute. Leave equipment disassembly, gas controls, wiring, and repeated restart attempts to a qualified heating professional.
Give Philly311 a usable no-heat complaint
Tell Philly311 that you are reporting a rental-property heating problem for L&I review. Provide the property address, apartment number, nature of the outage, and when it began. Add your temperature readings, whether the landlord controls the heat, and when you notified the landlord. Distinguish a completely stopped system from one that runs but leaves the apartment cold.
Request and save the service request number with your messages and photographs. The City’s housing handbook says complaints are referred to the appropriate inspection unit. If an inspector cannot enter and leaves a card, follow its instructions to arrange access. The Fair Housing Commission also advises tenants to preserve written repair requests.
Separate inspection timing from repair arrangements
L&I’s code-enforcement page lists a three-business-day response time for residential no-heat maintenance complaints between October 1 and April 15. That published response window is not a promised repair deadline. Its April 15 endpoint also differs from the April 30 heating-season endpoint in the City’s heat guidance; do not assume heating obligations end on April 15.
An L&I complaint starts a code-enforcement process, not a private heating-service appointment. Ask the landlord which qualified heating contractor is attending, what access is needed, and how restored heat will be checked throughout the apartment. If equipment replacement is proposed, ask which L&I permits and inspections apply—see what permit a furnace or central-air replacement needs in Philadelphia.
Seek tenant-side legal advice before withholding rent. The Fair Housing Commission’s guide specifically advises consulting legal counsel before doing so.
If you pay for heat and the outage creates a fuel or shutoff emergency, Pennsylvania’s LIHEAP crisis path may also be relevant—see whether LIHEAP crisis help can cover a broken furnace. That program is separate from an L&I no-heat complaint.
Keep temporary heating from becoming another emergency
Never use a stove or oven to heat the rental. If you use a portable electric space heater temporarily, keep flammable materials at least 3 feet away and plug it directly into a wall outlet, never a power strip—see whether a space heater is safe on an older home’s circuit. Do not treat temporary warmth as a repair to the permanent system.
If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, leave immediately and call 911 from outside rather than staying inside to troubleshoot—see when a carbon monoxide alarm means leave and call for help. If the apartment cannot be occupied safely while you wait, arrange a warm place to stay; documenting the outage and pursuing an inspection should not require remaining in unsafe conditions.