Department of Building Inspection
1660 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
General Information 415-558-6088
Code Questions 415-558-6084
Fax 415-558-6401
www.sfgov.org/dbi
What You Should Know About
Department of Building Inspection
1660 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94103-2414
Want a DBI Pro to brief your community / organization on permits
and inspection issues? Please contact us at 415-558-6089 or
DBICommunityOutreach@sfgov.org and we will make it happen.
April 2007
The Heat Ordinance
For Apartments And Residential
Hotels In San Francisco
AS A BUILDING OWNER, WHAT IS
THE PENALTY OR PENALTIES IF I
DON’T PROMPTLY REPAIR A
DEFECTIVE HEATING SYSTEM?
Where legal action must by taken by the City
to compel an owner to repair a system, the
owner can be required to pay court costs
and administrative costs incurred by the City
— as well as the costs to repair the system.
Because violation of the Housing Code is a
misdemeanor, the Department may issue the
building owner a citation if the owner fails to
promptly make needed repairs. A violator can
be fined up to $500 per day or be imprisoned
for six months or be both fined and imprisoned.
WHO CAN I CALL IF I HAVE A
HEATING COMPLAINT OR NEED
MORE INFORMATION?
Please call the Housing Inspection Services at
(415) 558-6220. We are located at:
1660 Mission Street, 6th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94103
Our office hours are: Monday through Friday
from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
H
e a t Or d i n a n c e
California housing codes require all dwelling
units in the state to have heating systems capable
of heating habitable rooms. When heating is
not provided, people are more susceptible to
catching colds, influenza and respiratory or other
illnesses. The elderly and those already suffering
from sicknesses are particularly at risk in buildings
without heat or without enough heat.
The requirement for heating goes beyond
mere comfort — it is considered essential to
maintaining the health of individual occupants
and the health, safety and welfare of the public at
large. Because residential heating is an important
part of building safety, it is strictly regulated by
the San Francisco Housing Code.
This brochure has been prepared by the
Department of Building Inspection to answer
some of the most frequently asked questions
about City heating requirements.
We hope this information is helpful to you
whether you are a building owner, manager or
occupant.
MUST APARTMENT UNITS AND
RESIDENTIAL HOTEL DWELLING
UNITS BE HEATED?
Yes. The San Francisco Housing Code, Section
701(c), requires these units be heated to at least
68°F at a point midway between the heat source
and farthest wall and at 3’-0” above the floor.
MUST HEATING BE ON 24 HOURS
PER DAY?
No. Heat capable of maintaining a room
temperature of 68°F shall be made available to
each occupied habitable room for 13 hours each
day between 5:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. and 3:00
p.m. to 10:00 p.m. A time clock set to provide
the amount and hours of heat is installed at or
nearby the heating source (boiler furnace, etc.). A
centrally located thermostat shall be installed in
a habitable room in the building. Boiler type heat
system may take approximately 1 hour to reach
minimum requirements.
WHAT ROOMS IN AN APARTMENT OR
DWELLING UNIT MUST BE HEATED?
Habitable rooms used for living, sleeping,
cooking and eating must be heated. Bathrooms,
closets, hallways, storage rooms and similar
spaces need not be heated.
CAN PORTABLE HEATERS BE USED TO
HEAT A UNIT OR BUILDING?
Generally not. Individual heaters must be
permanently attached and properly wired in
accordance with the Electrical Code to be
considered a legal heat source.
WHAT CAN I DO IF THE BUILDING IS
NOT HEATED AS IT SHOULD BE?
Call the Housing Inspection Services Division at
(415) 558-6220. Let us know of your complaint
and an assigned inspector will contact you
(typically within 1 business day) to arrange a
visit to your building to investigate the heating
conditions.
IF THE BUILDING DOESN’T HAVE
ENOUGH HEAT, WHAT WILL THE
CITY DO?
The City will issue a Notice to the building
owner or manager to repair the system so
that heat is provided. Generally, heat must
be provided within 48 hours of the Notice.
In extreme situations, the City can issue an
emergency order and actually perform the
work. In such cases, the building owner is
billed for the work including administrative
costs.
AS A BUILDING OWNER, IF I
RECEIVE A NOTICE OF
VIOLATION STATING THERE IS NO
HEAT OR NOT ENOUGH HEAT,
WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Follow the instructions on the Notice and:
1. Be sure the heat is turned on;
2. Check the temperature in several of the
apartments to see if there’s enough heat;
3. If the system needs repair and you can’t fix
it, call a licensed heating and plumbing
contractor and get the system working as
soon as possible;
4. When the heating is repaired and working,
call the Housing Inspector at (415) 558-
6220 for a reinspection.
