Buffalo Landlord Winter Checklist: Heat, Pipes, and Sidewalks

The winter checklist at a glance

Heat: what New York's tenant guidance says

The New York Attorney General's Residential Tenants' Rights Guide explains that every written or oral residential lease includes a warranty of habitability: the right to a livable, safe, and sanitary apartment. It gives the failure to provide heat or hot water on a regular basis as an example of a breach. The guide also says landlords of multiple dwellings must keep heating, plumbing, and electrical systems in good and safe working order and make repairs within a reasonable time that depends on how severe the problem is.

On timing and temperatures, the guide says heat must be supplied to tenants in multiple dwellings from October 1 through May 31, and that when the outdoor temperature falls below 55°F between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., each apartment must be heated to at least 68°F. It also sets an overnight minimum and notes that local regulations may require higher temperatures, so check the current guide and the City's code for the numbers that apply to your building. The guide notes that the Multiple Residence Law, rather than the Multiple Dwelling Law, applies to cities with fewer than 325,000 people.

The Attorney General's office tells tenants without adequate heat or hot water to notify the landlord first, and outside New York City to contact their local code enforcement office if the problem is not fixed. Practically, that means:

• Have the boiler or furnace serviced before the heating season, and keep the service record.
• Walk every unit when the heat first comes on and note anything that stays cold.
• Line up a heating contractor who will answer a no-heat call in a cold snap.
• Keep exterior furnace and boiler vents clear of snow, as Erie County health officials advise.

Vacant units: keep the pipes from freezing

A vacant upper or a unit between tenants is where frozen pipes go unnoticed. These are practical steps, not legal requirements:

• Keep the heat on. The American Red Cross advises leaving the heat on, set no lower than 55°F, when a home will be empty in cold weather. See thermostat settings when away in winter.
• Open sink cabinets on exterior walls so warm air reaches the plumbing, and close garage doors where water lines run.
• Drain or winterize a unit that will sit empty for a long stretch, or have a licensed plumber do it. Do not shut off water to a boiler or fire sprinkler system without a professional.
• Check after every cold snap and power outage. A furnace that does not restart after an outage leaves the pipes unprotected. See winter power outage home prep.
• Know every shutoff. Label the main water valve and any unit shutoffs so whoever answers a leak call can find them in the dark.

For which pipes freeze first and how to thaw one safely, see how to prevent frozen pipes. In occupied units, the Attorney General's guide says a landlord may enter with reasonable prior notice, at a reasonable time, and with the tenant's consent for repairs, and may enter without consent or notice in an emergency such as a water leak.

Sidewalks: the 9 a.m. rule in City Code section 413-50

Chapter 413, Article VIII of the City of Buffalo Code covers snow and ice removal. Here is what section 413-50 says, in plain terms:

• Deadline: every owner or occupant of a property abutting a public street must remove, before 9:00 a.m., all snow and ice that has fallen on the abutting sidewalk. If the sidewalk is not paved its full width, a path three feet wide must be cleared.
• Curb ramps: the same 9:00 a.m. duty applies to snow and ice on a curb ramp in the abutting sidewalk (the code calls it a "handicapped access cut").
• Ice that will not come up: if it is frozen too hard to remove without damaging the pavement, it must be covered with ashes, sand, sawdust, or another suitable material within the same time, then cleaned off as soon as the weather allows.
• Liability: the code says the owner or occupant may be liable for injury or damage from failing to keep the sidewalk clear.

Section 413-51 lets the City clean a sidewalk that is not cleared and charge the cost to the property, and section 413-52 says snow must not be plowed, shoveled, or piled into the street in a way that interferes with public travel. The Attorney General's office says property owners are responsible for clearing snow and ice from sidewalks, steps, and entrances and exits, and that tenants are generally only responsible for snow removal if they have exclusive control of the property or have agreed to it in their lease or another written agreement.

If a tenant is going to shovel, put it in the lease. If a contractor is, confirm they will be done before 9:00 a.m. after overnight snow, and that they cover steps, entrances, and curb ramps.

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

The Attorney General's guide says landlords of multiple dwellings must install approved smoke detectors in each apartment within ten feet of each room used for sleeping, and that multiple dwellings must have carbon monoxide detectors in accordance with local building codes. Test them before the heating season, replace any that fail, and remind tenants to keep fresh batteries in their detectors, which the guide says is the tenant's responsibility.

Tell tenants before the first freeze: a sample notice

A short note before the first freeze saves calls later. Adapt this to your building and lease:

Winter is coming. To help protect your home and the building: please report no heat, a leak, a frozen pipe, or a faucet that slows to a trickle right away, day or night, at [phone or email]. Keep the heat on, including when you travel. On very cold nights, open the cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls. Do not use the oven or a stove burner to heat your home. Keep furnace and dryer vents and building exits clear of snow. Snow and ice on the sidewalk and steps will be cleared by [name or company] / [the tenant, as stated in your lease]. The main water shutoff is located at [location]. Thank you.

Erie County health officials advise never using a gas stove or oven to heat a home. Give tenants the first freeze home checklist or the First Freeze Home Checklist PDF, and keep the Storm Power Outage Home Checklist PDF with the building records. More printables are in the checklist library.

Keep a record of every check

The Attorney General's office encourages tenants to document problems and notify the landlord in writing. Your own dated records show what you did and when. For each property, keep:

• Heating service dates and the contractor's notes
• Dates you checked vacant units, with the thermostat reading
• Every tenant report: when it came in, how it came in, and when it was fixed
• Sidewalk clearing times after each snowfall, or the contractor's log
• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarm test dates
• Photos of any damage before cleanup, for insurance

The rest of the season, from first freeze to spring melt, is in the Buffalo winter checklist. Roof snow and ice dams on a rental are covered in ice dams and roof snow in Buffalo.

Why an app, not another weather alert

A forecast of 5°F on Thursday night is the moment to check the vacant upper, not the morning after. HomeGuard Weather is designed to turn the forecast into a short home-care checklist for the home details you provide. It is software only, with no sensor or device to install. It does not track legal duties, send notices to tenants, or replace the City code, official alerts, or an attorney.

For the full launch scope and pricing, see HomeGuard Weather features & pricing.

Sources

• City of Buffalo Code, Chapter 413, Article VIII, Snow and Ice Removal (sections 413-50 to 413-52): the 9:00 a.m. sidewalk and curb ramp deadline, the three-foot path, covering hard ice with sand or ashes, liability, City cleaning at the owner's cost, and no piling snow into the street.
• New York Attorney General, Residential Tenants' Rights Guide: warranty of habitability, landlord's duty of repair, Multiple Residence Law for cities under 325,000, heating season and daytime minimum, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, landlord entry.
• New York Attorney General, Legal services and code enforcement: warranty of habitability and repairs.
• New York Attorney General, winter storm tenant rights reminder (February 23, 2026): notify the landlord first, local code enforcement outside New York City, owners clear sidewalks, steps, and entrances, when tenants are responsible for snow removal, document and notify in writing.
• American Red Cross, frozen pipes: heat no lower than 55°F when away in cold weather.
• Erie County Department of Health, winter storms and extreme cold: clear exterior exhaust and furnace vents.
• Erie County Department of Health, power outage safety: never use a gas stove or oven to heat a home.

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