We send them to the Attorney General s Office because they are appointed to represent consumers, and the tenant is a consumer. Heat turned off Other common calls Roberts has received over the years have been from students who rent with everything included and, for example, in April the landlord attempts to turn the heat off. Roberts recalled a call from three female students whose landlord decided that, since his heat was turned off, theirs should be too. Landlords must provide heating equipment between Nov. 1 and May 1 that maintains a temperature of at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit. And from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. when the outside temperature falls below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, heat must be provided to maintain a temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit, according to City of Plattsburgh Housing Codes.
Some students call after finding the landlord working in their apartment.
Roberts said that unless it s an emergency, landlords must give 24 hours notice before entering a unit. A common belief is that tenants can t be evicted in the winter if they have children, Roberts said. That isn t true. To evict a tenant, a landlord must sue in court and win the case. And only a sheriff, constable or marshal can carry out a court-ordered warrant to evict a tenant.