Int. No. 2265-B
By Council Members Cumbo, Chin, Kallos, Louis and Rivera
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to stove safety knobs.
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Section 27-2046.4 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as added by local law number 117 for the year 2018, is amended to read as follows:
§ 27-2046.4 Stovetop protection. a. An owner of a unit in a multiple dwelling, other than a dwelling unit in a multiple dwelling owned as a condominium or cooperative and used as the primary residence of such owner, shall provide the tenant the option of either permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms or stove knob covers for each knob located on the front of each gas-powered stove to tenants in each dwelling unit in which the owner knows or reasonably should know a child under six years of age resides, except where such owner has documented proof that there is no available permanent stove safety knob with an integrated locking mechanism or stove knob cover that is compatible with [the knobs on] such stove. Such permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms or stove knob covers shall be made available within [thirty] 30 days of a request of such [owner providing] tenant upon receiving the notice required in subdivision b of this section [unless such owner has previously made such stove knob covers available to the tenant and the tenant has not requested a replacement].
b. 1. Such owner shall provide an annual notice to each tenant of a unit regarding the owner's obligation to provide permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms or stove knob covers pursuant to subdivision a of this section. Such notice shall inform the tenant of [his or her] the tenant’s option to [refuse] request permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms or stove knob covers.
2. Upon being provided with such notice, a tenant [may] who wants either permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms or stove knob covers shall notify such owner, in writing[, that such tenant refuses stove knob covers]. If the tenant does not notify the owner, in writing, that the tenant [refuses] requests permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms or stove knob covers, the owner will not be obligated to make [the] either permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms or stove knob covers available to the tenant pursuant to subdivision a of this section.
3. An owner [will] shall keep a record of: (i) outreach conducted to tenants regarding the installation of permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanism or stove knob covers, (ii) written notifications of [refusal of] request for permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms or stove knob covers received from a tenant of a dwelling unit, [(ii)] (iii) the owner's attempts to provide permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms or stove knob covers to tenants pursuant to subdivision a of this section, [(iii)] (iv) units for which permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms or stove knob covers were made available, and [(iv)] (v) tenants who have requested permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms or stove knob covers.
c. No owner shall refuse a written request of a tenant of such dwelling unit to provide either permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms or stove knob covers, regardless of whether making such knobs or covers available is required pursuant to this section.
d. Any owner who is required to provide permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms or stove knob covers pursuant to this section who fails to do so shall be liable for a class B hazardous violation, provided that it shall be an exception to a violation where (i) the owner provides documented proof that there is no available permanent stove safety knob with an integrated locking mechanism or stove knob cover that is compatible with [the knobs on] such stove or (ii) the owner has already fulfilled two requests for replacement permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms or stove knob covers within the previous year.
§ 2. This local law takes effect 180 days after it becomes law, provided that the requirements of subdivision b of section 27-2046.4 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as amended by section one of this local law, shall only apply to a notice provided after such date.