Boston’s heating season is already underway.
And if your apartment is freezing, there is an actual temperature standard it has to meet.
Under Massachusetts housing rules, rental units must be able to stay at at least 68°F from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and 64°F overnight during heating season, which runs from Sept. 15 through May 31.
That matters even in September, when the weather can still bounce between warm afternoons and cold nights.
The rule is about the temperature inside your apartment.
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Daytime: minimum 68°F
Night: minimum 64°F
Heating season: Sept. 15 through May 31
Start by checking the obvious stuff
Make sure the thermostat is on and check whether your apartment uses gas, oil, electricity or another heating source.
If your lease makes you responsible for paying for your own heat or fuel, also check that your utility service is active or that you have fuel.
That does not remove the landlord’s responsibility to provide and maintain a heating system capable of meeting Massachusetts temperature requirements.
If the system is not working or the apartment remains below the required temperature, contact your landlord or property manager and keep the request in writing when possible.
Take photos of the temperature reading and note the time. Your own thermometer reading can be useful documentation, although it does not replace an official inspection.
Still cold? Boston has a next step
If your landlord or property manager is unresponsive, contact the Boston Inspectional Services Department at 617-635-5300 or file a request through Boston 311.
The city specifically directs tenants with insufficient or no heat to those services.
Massachusetts treats failure to provide required heat as a condition that may endanger health or safety.
If an inspection confirms a lack-of-heat violation, state rules require officials to issue an order within 12 hours of the inspection, directing a good-faith effort to correct the problem within 24 hours of receiving the order.
A space heater is not the landlord’s solution
A portable electric space heater does not count as the heating system Massachusetts housing rules require an owner to provide.
So if the answer to a broken heating system is simply “use this space heater all winter,” that does not replace the landlord’s obligation to provide a compliant heating system.
Boston winters are expensive enough without paying rent for an apartment that cannot stay warm. Know the temperature numbers and know who to call.
This guide reflects Massachusetts and Boston heating rules checked in September 2026. It provides general tenant information rather than individual legal advice.
