The New York City Council on Oct. 9 approved a bill requiring biennial inspections of steam radiators in apartments where a child under age 6 lives and timebound repairs when defects are found. Council Member Farrah Lewis sponsored Intro 9‑25 and pressed colleagues that the measure is needed to prevent further injuries to children in older buildings.

The bill matters because council members said malfunctioning steam radiators have caused life‑changing injuries and at least one fatality. Supporters, including a family that lost a baby referenced during debate, described repeated failures of older heating systems and urged the council to close a safety gap in housing oversight.

Under the legislation described on the floor, a building owner must correct defects or damage discovered in a radiator within 14 days of inspection. Conditions deemed hazardous to life or safety must result in removal of the unit from service within 24 hours and repair or replacement within seven days. Council Member Lewis told colleagues the city already requires periodic checks for other household hazards and that steam radiators should be treated the same: “This is a vital measure to protect our most vulnerable children, and strengthen housing safety, and to hold landlords accountable,” she said during debate.

Members across the chamber voiced support for the bill. Council Member Hanif and other members commended the family who brought the matter forward; council debate noted the legislation as a policy response to specific, documented incidents. The bill was part of a package of items taken on the general orders calendar and was adopted when the council voted to approve the coupled items; the clerk reported that the general orders calendar passed with 49 affirmative votes and no negatives or abstentions, with a handful of separate items recorded with different tallies (see Actions).

The measure instructs enforcement consistent with the city’s housing maintenance code and assigns implementation to relevant agencies or enforcement units named in the legislation. The council record indicates committee counsel and staff supported the drafting and committee amendment before the floor vote.

Council members said the measure will prompt property owners and managers to inspect and repair aging steam systems, while advocates said the city will need outreach to tenants and coordinatation with housing inspectors to ensure compliance. The bill becomes part of the city’s housing safety rules and will proceed to the usual steps for enactment and implementation by city agencies.