Help Me Hank: Help Me Hank! Hot apartment

You know what 82 degrees feels like. It's tropical beach weather and the average Boston temperature in July.

But for Sarah Watson, it was the average temperature in her Boston apartment in the winter.

Sarah Watson
"It's unbearable. It's completely unbearable."

Sarah was keeping track of the heat and the temperature kept rising.

Sarah Watson
"It was almost like I was on a beach without the sun."

She figured the indoor heat wave had something to do with the pipes that run through her place and the boiler room being on the same floor. She tried everything to cool down.

Sarah Watson
"Both windows are open wide all the time."

She put a fan by her bed and even an industrial strength fan in the window, but nothing helped.

Sarah Watson
"You can't sleep. You're constantly waking up in the middle of the night just cause you're so hot."

Sarah tried to keep her cool, but she was steaming mad.

Sarah Watson
"It's not acceptable."

She called her landlord to put him on the hot seat, but he had only one response.

Sarah Watson
"There's not much I can do."

When Sarah couldn't turn off the heat, she turned on her computer.

Sarah Watson
"So I wrote in to Help Me Hank."

How hot is too hot? We knew the rules were all in the state's sanitary code. It's all about protecting your health and safety. It says an apartment can not be hotter than 78 degrees during the heating season, which runs from September through June. And what's more, building owners who break those rules can face a fine.

So we called Sarah's landlord to remind him of the regs. And soon after, he worked on the boiler and fixed the pipes.

Now Sarah can enjoy her New England winter: snowy on the outside, but just right on the inside.

Sarah Watson
"I'll be able to use a blanket and sit comfortably in my own home."

If you're a renter, you should know your rights. Check out the links below for more info.

Massachusetts Rental Information

Massachusetts Sanitary Code

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