Provide Annual Stove Knob Cover Notices by Jan. 16

Failure to provide requested documentation will result in a Class B hazardous violation.

Stove knob covers are an important fire prevention tool. The covers make stove knobs on gas-powered stoves inaccessible to children. Local Law 117, which became effective in December 2018, requires that an owner of multiple dwellings provide stove knob covers for gas-powered stoves where the owner knows, or reasonably should know, that a child under 6 years of age resides. Owners are also required to provide stove knob covers in a unit without a child under age 6 if the tenant requests them.

Changes to the law, as a result of Local Law 44 of 2022, have added that tenants may request, in writing, either stove knob covers or permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms for gas-powered stoves.

Annual Notice Requirements

In addition to providing these covers or safety knobs, the owner must send tenants an annual notice. The notice must inform tenants that:

• Stove knob covers will be made available within 30 days of distributing the annual notice;
• The owner must provide stove knob covers to any household that requests them, regardless of whether a child resides in the unit; and
• Tenants can forgo stove knob covers through written refusal to the landlord.

If a tenant doesn’t submit written refusal to the owner, the owner is still obligated to provide stove knob covers to any household where the owner knows, or reasonably should know, that a child under age 6 resides.

For a Model Notice: Annual Stove Knob Cover Notice, that includes the option for permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms, you can visit www.apartmentlawinsider.com/sites/apartmentlawinsider.com/files/ALI_2023_02_MN_StoveKnobCovers.pdf.

Record Keeping Obligations

Owners are required to keep records of providing the annual notice, written tenant responses, a list of requests for stove knob covers or permanent stove safety knobs, and a list of units to which devices were provided. Owners must also document where requests were made but not provided because there was no available device that was compatible with the stove knobs. Owners are not required to submit notices to HPD.

Also, you aren’t required to provide either device if you’ve already fulfilled two requests for replacement devices within the previous year, or if you haven’t received a request for installation.

Violations

Failure to provide documented proof on the availability of stove knob covers upon request from HPD will result in a Class B hazardous violation. Exceptions will be granted to owners that provide documented proof that they’ve already fulfilled two requests for replacement stove knob covers within the previous year or that there are no available stove knob covers that are compatible with the knobs on their dwelling units’ stoves.