City of Chicago demanding landlords provide heat

CHICAGO (AP) - The extreme cold has prompted the city of Chicago to convene an emergency hearing to force landlords to restore heat to city apartment buildings.

Officials of Chicago's Department of Buildings say the agency has received 600 no heat complaints. Department inspectors have investigated 495 of those complaints.

WBBM-AM reports (http://cbsloc.al/1FBoUgI) city attorney Steven McKenzie says the hearing was called because of a need to get landlords into court as soon as possible.

McKenzie says most cases stem from broken furnaces or boilers and most landlords comply in a timely fashion.

Chicago ordinances require landlords to provide heat and water between Sept. 15 and June 1. If the service is disrupted, offending owners face up to $500 a day in fines until the problem is corrected.

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Information from: WBBM-AM, http://www.wbbm780.com