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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Home away from home
 
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If you go the "rent in escrow" route, you might consider it worthwhile to buy one of these $50 temperature loggers. It can create a record over a long period. I love mine.
http://www.amazon.com/Lascar-Electron ... ure-Logger/dp/B00074UZ4A/
Posted on: 2013/12/19 21:04
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Home away from home
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I would definitely look into putting your rent into escrow until this is resolved.
Posted on: 2013/12/19 18:53
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Home away from home
Joined:
2005/3/2 4:49 Last Login : 2018/6/12 15:20 From Downtown Ex Pat happy in McGinley Sq.
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You have to be on this to the extent CatsandDogs suggests. They are breaking the law. And be sure you document all the spikes in your electric bill during this "outage". Keep on the Dept. of Health, also reach out to the Landlord/Tenant Relations office for advice. Talk to Charles Odei about your situation. He is very knowledgeable about you rights here and he should also be able to advise you as to what is and isn't an acceptable repair time frame, how to get reimbursement for your additional expenses (if allowed), etc.
Posted on: 2013/12/19 18:38
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Home away from home
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Quote:
Posted on: 2013/12/19 14:47
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Home away from home
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I thought they meant the non-electric kind like those kerosene burners. I know someone that used them years ago and there was a problem with it. You don't see the kerosene heaters in stores anymore at least not in urban/inner-city neighborhoods due to the liability factor.
Posted on: 2013/12/19 12:25
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Get on your bikes and ride !
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Just can't stay away
Joined:
2013/8/30 11:07 Last Login : 2014/8/29 19:11 From Jersey City
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And yes, since the whole water deal - all the neighbours were in the lobby so we discussed heating.
People are cold but noone seems to be keen to fight it and they just oversleep in their place. They are younger and think they must endure it. We (not SO young) mostly work from home..oh, igloo. Thank you everyone, you are really kind for all the engagement. It is so appreciated. You know, at least our fog has an excuse to curl up with us wherever we are (silver lining in the fart cloud)
Posted on: 2013/12/18 18:35
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Just can't stay away
Joined:
2013/8/30 11:07 Last Login : 2014/8/29 19:11 From Jersey City
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Hi everyone, it is in Regent street, building where Brewshot is and there are about 15 apartments per floor - and 8 floors.
Heating unit was checked and they claim it to be "fine". However, common sense says :" not fine - blooming cold". They are on the way now to check it again. I assume Health Department gave ring as they were quite silent before. So will see. Yes, electricity is expensive:( We are not sure what our bill will be but we are getting ready for a minor coronary. Thanks for the cocoa offer:) I actually baked whole lots of cookies and gave gifts to local business's to maintain the great community feel that I picked up on forums.. it is amazing how good always finds - good on the other end. Off to holidays tomorrow but I may bake more so we all gather and discuss the freaking heating. ..70 degrees mentioned in the post - I believe I would wear sandals and white socks feeling like a Florida dude with that temperature:) Hey, how are you with water guys:)
Posted on: 2013/12/18 18:28
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Home away from home
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As far as I've read, the OP has not checked with the neighboring units to see if they have similar problems. If they do, it's systemic as MDM proposes. If not, there's a problem in the unit's heat, the heat pump may be broken as SRia suggests, and you can get the JC Housing Dept involved to make the landlord take this serious. I had a tenant call them when the heat was "only" 70!
Curious: how many units in the building?
Posted on: 2013/12/18 18:13
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Home away from home
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where are you getting this (whackass) info? oil-filled radiators are the safest space heaters available. http://www.air-n-water.com/heater_safe.htm they will, however, jack up your electric bill.
Posted on: 2013/12/18 18:00
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Home away from home
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Plus the Obama administration is forcing a lot of coal burning power plants offline so that will spike rates.
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Posted on: 2013/12/18 17:19
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Home away from home
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Cost to run a 1,500 Watt heater per hour: $0.26 (assumes an average of $0.17 per kWh)
Cost to get 1,500 Watts of heat from a gas boiler: roughly $0.07 (assumes 80% efficiency and doesn't include electric pump power and $1.05 per therm of gas).
Posted on: 2013/12/18 16:54
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Home away from home
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Could it be that the heating pump (or heating unit) is not working properly?
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Posted on: 2013/12/18 16:47
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Home away from home
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interesting, i have a friend who used to brag that electricity is cheaper than gas...i guess he was wrong big time!
Posted on: 2013/12/18 16:39
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Home away from home
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Electric rates have spiked. I saved a few hundred $ this year when I locked in rates a couple years back. If the offshore wind turbine project goes through, get ready to start paying rates that are charged in countries like Germany ($0.35+ per kWh). The only thing that will work for the poster is to have the insulation fixed.
Posted on: 2013/12/18 16:34
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Home away from home
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Interesting that electric is so expensive. i thought electric was getting cheaper. can you try wall blankets or something - they might be ugly but could help you save a bundle.
Posted on: 2013/12/18 16:22
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Not too shy to talk
 
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This makes me so upset, if I knew where you were I'd bring you some hot cocoa.
Posted on: 2013/12/18 16:22
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Home away from home
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Electric heat: Get ready for a $1,000 a month utility bill.
Taking an educated guess: The building was built with metal studs with loose fitting fiberglass batts against a masonry wall. You are getting what is called thermal shorting coupled with a lot of air moving through the fiberglass batts. Essentially, you are being forced to try to heat the great outdoors. If the other tenants are having the same problem, you might want to talk to them. The problem is solvable (albeit not cheaply).
Posted on: 2013/12/18 16:12
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Just can't stay away
Joined:
2013/8/30 11:07 Last Login : 2014/8/29 19:11 From Jersey City
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I wasn't as angry as I am now:) You know..we just moved in - trying to be good tenants..bubble wrapping the place so we feel a bit like a FedEx package.
getting a heaters to prevent frostbites. It is electric air fan heater. One says 59 as temperature reached and the other is on 43 now. The air-conditioning is cranked up to 90 but it blows freakishly cold air so we keep it off. I am telling you (stiff upper lip and joking about it) but toilet is the worst. I could keep groceries in
Posted on: 2013/12/18 16:06
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Not too shy to talk
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Quote:
I highly suggest you seek legal advice. There is obviously something wrong with the building or the unit that is supposed to deliver heat to your apartment. Call city hall and ask to speak to someone 201-547-500. It really makes me upset to think that you are living this way and someone is continuing to collect money from you as though everything is okey-dokey. There is a group in jersey city of just professionals that hang out and do events, volunteer and such. Many of them are lawyers, I would suggest reaching out to them on Facebook- Jersey City Ties. https://www.facebook.com/JerseyCityTies
Posted on: 2013/12/18 15:59
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Home away from home
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Is it a high or mid rise? Are you using air source heat pumps for heat or is it gas?
Posted on: 2013/12/18 15:50
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Just can't stay away
Joined:
2013/8/30 11:07 Last Login : 2014/8/29 19:11 From Jersey City
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Thank you everyone for posting! Every one of your reply has been helpful - even for the thumbs up.
Thank you
Posted on: 2013/12/18 15:43
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Just can't stay away
Joined:
2013/8/30 11:07 Last Login : 2014/8/29 19:11 From Jersey City
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Thank you! We read it and since we did not get any reply from management we contacted Health Dept.
Problem with that law is that it is applied to landlords who provide heat that is included in the bill. We pay our own heating - so landlord does not actually surlily the heat - but it does supply the appliances for the heat, which are - in this case - cold. As they shrugged shoulders when we asked it to be "cranked up" or ANYTHING really, we do not expect an action except - waiting for the spring. In a meantime, our heating bill may be a disaster.
Posted on: 2013/12/18 15:41
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Not too shy to talk
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Here is a NJ handbook for these things:
http://www.lsnjlaw.org/Publications/P ... Manuals/TenantsRights.pdf Check pages 30 and 36. I think if it is under 60 degrees on a regular basis in you need to send your landlord a letter right away just for the record if you have any disputes later. Some landlords can be a nightmare. I had an issue years ago where the water was shut off to my apartment because the landlord was negligent and only found out later that from that day I should not have been paying rent for each day if was off. In my experience, if it is not a matter that gets solved in a timely manner, seek legal advice. Don't just put up with these things and suffer quietly, people will walk all over you given the chance. I hope this helps. Good Luck.
Posted on: 2013/12/18 15:37
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Just can't stay away
Joined:
2013/8/30 11:07 Last Login : 2014/8/29 19:11 From Jersey City
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We have renters insurance and we got those indoor oil heaters, yes.
We only run them when we are near. We do not even go to bathroom without plugging it from the wall. I have it now near my feet with nothing around and standing on couple of cookies - baking sheets. It is like camping indoors.
Posted on: 2013/12/18 15:36
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Home away from home
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Posted on: 2013/12/18 15:36
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Just can't stay away
Joined:
2013/8/30 11:07 Last Login : 2014/8/29 19:11 From Jersey City
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It is a new construction.
Posted on: 2013/12/18 15:33
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Home away from home
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Code issues aside:
assuming the landlord is actually running the heat and it is getting that cold.... There is a mistake often made in new construction that can make it so a building cannot hold heat (some buildings in Newport had/have this problem). Same with certain rehab work. The solution requires a building envelope retrofit. If it is a large building in question, I can give the original poster a name that might be able to help out (assuming management is actually interesting in solving the problem).
Posted on: 2013/12/18 15:23
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Newbie
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All landlords must maintain certain day and night temperatures for the designated winter period. Can't recall the figures, but they are readily available (google it). New construction, 150 -year-old shack, it makes no difference. Be sure to put your concerns to the landlord/management in writing. Even a text will do. I am not a landlord-hater, simply stating city/state law.
Posted on: 2013/12/18 14:31
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Home away from home
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It is illegal and a fire hazard to run those oil heaters. Did you notify your landlord that you are doing this ? What kind of insurance liability do you currently have ?
Posted on: 2013/12/18 14:21
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Get on your bikes and ride !
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Re: Heat requirements for rented property
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Home away from home
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New Construction or a renovated older property?
Posted on: 2013/12/18 14:16
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