Gas Safety and Service Interruptions

Residents who suspect that a gas leak has occurred should take the following actions:

• Quickly open nearby doors and windows and then leave the building immediately. Do not attempt to locate the leak. Do not turn on or off any electrical appliances, do not smoke or light matches or lighters, and do not use a house phone or cell phone within the building.
• After leaving the building, from a safe distance away from the building, call Public Safety immediately at (212) 854-5555 to report the suspected gas leak.
• After calling Public Safety, call the gas service provider for the building as follows: Con Edison - (800) 752-6633

If Con Edison detects an issue in the building and they deem it necessary, they may shut down gas service to an entire building so that the issue can be addressed and repairs arranged. Columbia Residential takes such issues very seriously and works directly with Con Edison and the New York City Department of Buildings, to make sure that safe and appropriate measures are taken to complete necessary repairs and restore service as soon as possible.

Columbia Residential recognizes that those affected most significantly by building-wide gas service interruptions are our residents. We want residents to know that we are committed to providing support during an outage to make the home as comfortable as possible until services can be safely restored. During a building-wide outage, here's what residents can expect from Columbia Residential:

• If the range/oven in the apartment is gas-powered, Columbia Residential will provide an electric hotplate for use until service is restored.
• If a building-wide outage lasts longer than one week, residents affected will receive a 20-percent rent abatement each month until service is restored. At the beginning of each month, the credit for the previous month will be added to the rental account. The credit is prorated based on the number of days service is interrupted during that month.

Any repairs needed to restore service will be scheduled by Columbia Residential, and once repairs are completed, the work will be inspected by Con Edison and the New York City Department of Buildings. Unfortunately, repairs and required inspections may take several months or longer to complete. Please rest assured that the goal is always to move as safely and quickly as possible to restore the services.

For more information on necessary steps to restore gas after a service interruption, please review How Con Edison Responds to Outages. If residents experience a building-wide service interruption and have questions or concerns, please contact the building's Director of Residential Services.