Stove knob covers make the knobs on gas-powered stoves inaccessible to children and can be an important fire prevention tool. 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. Since then, 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. We’ve prepared a Model Notice: Annual Stove Knob Cover Notice, that includes the option for permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms. 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.

Recordkeeping 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.

[MODEL NOTICE] 

ANNUAL NOTICE REGARDING INSTALLATION OF STOVE KNOB COVERS OR

PERMANENT STOVE SAFETY KNOBS WITH INTEGRATED LOCKING MECHANISMS

The owner of this building is required, by Administrative Code §27-2046.4(a), to provide stove knob covers or permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms for each knob located on the front of each gas-powered stove to tenants in each dwelling unit in which the owner knows or reasonably should know a child under 6 years of age resides when requested to do so in writing by the tenant, unless there is no available stove knob cover or permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms that is compatible with the knobs on the stove. Tenants may request stove knob covers or permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms by marking the appropriate box on this form. Tenants may also request stove knob covers or permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms even if they do not have a child under age 6 residing with them, by marking the appropriate box on this form.

The owner must make the stove knob covers available within 30 days of the written request by the tenant. If the tenant does not notify the owner, in writing, that the tenant requests stove knob covers, the owner will not make the stove knob covers available to the tenant. Please also note that an owner is required to provide replacement stove knob covers or permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms only twice within any one-year period. You may request stove knob covers or permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms by checking the appropriate box on the form below, and by returning it to the owner at the address provided.

Please complete this form by checking the appropriate box, filling out the information requested, and signing. Please return the form to the owner at the address provided by ______________(date):

☐ Yes, I want stove knob covers or replacement stove knob covers for my stove.

☐ Yes, I want permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms for my stove.

There is a child under age 6 residing in my apartment:

☐ Yes

☐ No

___________________________________ (Tenant Signature) __________(Date)

Print Name, Address, and Apartment Number:

_______________________________________________________________________

Return this form to: _______________________________________ (Owner Address)