Day 264 of self-isolation and Day 125 without gas.
December is here, and despite global warming giving us above average temperatures, it’s freezing in my apartment — it’s about 35 to 40 degrees outside. We still don’t have gas for heating or cooking, and our landlord provided us with a bunch of ceramic space heaters. Currently, I’m running 4 of them to keep Dusty and myself warm, as well as wearing a coat inside (Dusty is even wearing a jacket, and she loves to nestle in front of the heaters). Sure, I could find a new place and easily break my 2-year lease renewal that I signed a month before we were kicked out, but I love my apartment: it’s quiet, it has a perfect backyard, and most importantly, it’s rent-stabilized. This apartment is a rarity in NYC.
The landlord finished installing new gas lines about two weeks ago, and we’re all waiting for someone to inspect the building one last time and turn on the gas. Half of the building is vacant, and I’m fairly certain it’s in my landlord’s best interest to get these units reoccupied — and no new tenant wants to move into an apartment with no heat or working stove.
Funny thing, one of my neighbors complained to the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development about the lack of heat in our building. The building was cited and subject to fines for each day we don’t have heat. Of course, we’re waiting on the NYC Department of Buildings to send a Master Plumber to turn our gas, and subsequently, our heat. One department versus another department. We’re in bureaucratic hell, and it’s cold.
Oh, and my council member has yet to respond.