Boiler Room Key Sign: Why You Need Two
Picture this: it's January, the heat is out, and the super isn't answering. A tenant or the fire department needs to get into the boiler room, and nobody knows who has the key. That's the exact situation this little notice is meant to prevent.
It's also the one sign where you need two copies, and a lot of owners only post one.
What is the boiler room key notice?
In short: It's a notice that tells people who holds the key to the boiler room and where to find them. HMC Section 27-2033 requires one copy in the lobby and a second on the boiler room entrance door, using HPD approved wording.
Some people call it the "key to heating" sign. Same thing. It applies to buildings with a boiler room, which covers most older NYC multiple dwellings with central heat.
Why you need two
The two copies do two different jobs.
For tenants and visitors. When heat or hot water fails, they can see right away who to contact for boiler room access.
For anyone standing at a locked door. Firefighters, inspectors and repair crews who reach the boiler room can see who has the key without going back upstairs.
Posting only the lobby copy is a very common mistake, and it can still count as a violation. If you order this sign, order two.
Our Key to Heating notice uses the wording HPD expects. Order the boiler room key sign, $90
What goes on it
- 1Name of the key holderUsually the super, but it can be anyone who reliably has the key.
- 2Where to find themTheir apartment number or location, so people know where to go.
Keep it simple and current. If the key holder changes, both copies need updating, and so does the superintendent sign if it's the same person.
Heat season makes it matter more
From October 1 to May 31, NYC's heat season rules apply, and heat complaints are some of the most common calls to 311. When an inspector responds to a heat complaint, the boiler room is often where they end up. A clear key notice on the door shows the building is organized, and it helps get heat back on faster.
Placement tips
- Lobby copy on your notice wall.
Group it with the other notices, as shown in our lobby placement guide.
- Door copy at eye level.
Mount it on the outside of the boiler room door, near the handle, where it's easy to read with a flashlight.
- Use screws in the basement.
Basement walls and doors get damp. Screws hold better than tape down there.
What this looks like in practice
Here's a scene that plays out every winter. Say a tenant in a Bronx building calls 311 because there's no heat. An inspector comes out, heads to the basement and finds a locked boiler room door with no notice on it. Upstairs, the only key notice in the lobby lists a super who left in the spring. Now there are two problems instead of one: the heat and the missing or outdated notice.
The owner could have avoided the second one with two signs and a quick update. Since the key holder is often the super, the easiest habit is to update the key notice, the super sign and the registration sign all at once whenever the super changes.
Keeping the boiler room organized
The notice works best when the boiler room itself is in order. Keep the area around the boiler clear, keep the door closed and locked when nobody is working there, and make sure the key holder can actually get there quickly at night. If you have more than one boiler room, each entrance door needs its own copy of the notice.
Quick answers
My building has no boiler room. Do I need this sign?
No. It applies to buildings with a boiler room. If your heat comes from individual units in each apartment, it generally doesn't apply.
Can the key holder be someone outside the building?
Usually, yes, as long as the notice says who they are and where to find them. But if someone living in the building does janitorial work, the law says that person holds the key. Just make sure they can actually be reached quickly.
Is the boiler key notice part of the core HPD signs?
It depends on your building. See the complete checklist for the core 8 and the 4 that depend on your building.
Not sure what your building needs?
Send us your address and number of apartments. We will tell you exactly which signs to order.
General information based on the NYC HPD Required Signage page as of November 2026. Not legal advice. HPD Signs NYC is not affiliated with the City of New York or HPD. Prices may change. Check nyc.gov/hpd for the latest rules.