Apartment Emergency · Stay
Staying warm without the furnace.
The heat is out. The power may be out too. You cannot install a wood stove, run a generator, or use a propane heater indoors. Here is what actually works in an apartment, what will get you killed, and when to leave.
The apartment advantage
Shared walls are thermal mass.
A detached house loses heat from every surface: four walls, the roof, and the floor. An interior apartment shares walls with heated (or at least insulated) neighbors on two, three, or even four sides. This is a significant structural advantage that most winter preparedness advice written for homeowners completely ignores.
In moderate winter conditions with outdoor temperatures in the 20s to 30s Fahrenheit, an interior apartment may take 12 to 24 hours to drop below 55 degrees. A corner unit or top-floor unit cools faster because it has more exterior wall exposure. Ground-floor units lose heat downward through unheated crawl spaces or garages.
The practical implication: in most apartment power outages, you have hours before cold becomes a real concern, not minutes. That buys time to decide whether to stay or go, and if you stay, to implement the passive warming strategies below.
Where your unit sits matters
Slower to cool
- Interior units (shared walls on 3-4 sides)
- Middle floors (insulated above and below)
- Units with neighbors who still have heat
- South-facing units (solar gain through windows)
Faster to cool
- Corner units (2 exterior walls)
- Top-floor units (roof exposure)
- Units above unheated garages
- North-facing units with large windows
Read this first
What will kill you faster than the cold.
Every winter, people die inside their homes not from cold but from the things they brought inside to fight it. Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless. It kills in minutes in enclosed spaces. The following are not options in an apartment. They are not options in any indoor space without proper ventilation and exhaust systems.
Never use indoors
Portable generators
A gasoline-powered generator produces as much carbon monoxide as hundreds of cars. The CPSC reports that portable generators are associated with an average of nearly 100 CO poisoning deaths per year. They must operate outdoors, at least 20 feet from any window or door. A balcony, garage, or breezeway is not outdoors.
Charcoal grills or charcoal of any kind
Burning charcoal in an enclosed space produces lethal levels of carbon monoxide. The CPSC states this explicitly: never use charcoal indoors, including in a garage with the door open.
Propane or kerosene heaters without proper venting
Unvented fuel-burning heaters produce CO and consume oxygen. They are designed for well-ventilated spaces, which an apartment with sealed windows in winter is not. Even "indoor-rated" propane heaters require ventilation that a sealed apartment cannot reliably provide.
Gas stove or oven used as a heater
Ready.gov is explicit: never heat a home by using the stovetop or oven. Gas appliances produce CO and are not designed for continuous operation as space heaters. This is one of the most common mistakes during winter outages.
Camp stoves or fuel-burning lanterns
Any device that burns fuel (propane, butane, white gas, kerosene) produces CO and is unsafe in an enclosed apartment. The combustion byproducts that dissipate harmlessly outdoors accumulate to dangerous concentrations indoors within minutes.
Sources: CPSC, "Winter Weather Safety Tips," cpsc.gov, January 2026. Ready.gov, "#WinterReady Social Media Toolkit," ready.gov, 2026. CDC, "Preventing Hypothermia," cdc.gov.
CO alarms are non-negotiable.
Install battery-operated carbon monoxide alarms on every level of your apartment and outside sleeping areas. Battery-operated is the key phrase: they work during power outages when plug-in models do not. Test monthly. Replace batteries annually or use sealed 10-year units. The CPSC recommends interconnected alarms when possible, so that when one sounds, they all sound.
What works
Passive warming. No power required.
Your body generates about 80 to 100 watts of heat at rest. In a small, well-insulated room, that is enough to maintain a livable temperature for hours. The strategy is simple: reduce the space you are trying to heat, reduce the surfaces that lose heat, and insulate yourself.
Shrink the space
Close off every room you do not need. Gather the household into the smallest interior room with the fewest exterior walls and windows. A bedroom or interior bathroom is usually the best choice. Stuff towels or rolled blankets under the doors to rooms you have closed off.
Two or three people in a 10-by-12 room generate 160 to 300 watts of body heat. In an insulated room with blocked drafts, this is meaningful. The room will stabilize at a temperature well above the outdoor conditions.
Insulate the windows
Windows are your biggest heat loss surface. Hang blankets, quilts, or sleeping bags over them using thumbtacks or removable adhesive hooks (deposit-safe). Heavy fabric blocks radiant heat loss and convective drafts. Even taped-up cardboard is better than bare glass.
During daylight hours on sunny days, uncover south-facing windows to capture solar heat, then re-cover them before sunset. This passive solar gain can raise a room's temperature by several degrees.
Layer your clothing
The layering system works indoors the same way it works outdoors. Base layer (thermal underwear or moisture-wicking fabric) against the skin. Insulation layer (fleece, wool sweater, down vest) in the middle. An outer layer (windbreaker or even a bathrobe) on top to trap the warm air.
Wear a knit hat indoors. You lose meaningful heat through your head when the rest of your body is insulated. Wool socks and slippers on your feet. Gloves or fingerless gloves if your hands are cold. This is not dramatic; it is physics.
Sleep warm
Sleeping is when hypothermia risk is highest because your metabolic rate drops. Use a sleeping bag rated to at least 30 degrees Fahrenheit, or pile blankets and comforters. Sleep in your base layer and socks. A knit hat makes a noticeable difference.
If two people are comfortable sharing body heat, sleeping in the same bed under the same covers is remarkably effective. This is not a survival technique from a manual. It is how most of human history stayed warm.
Additional heat sources that are safe indoors
- Hot water bottles. Fill from your tap while you still have hot water (or heat water before the power goes out). Wrap in a towel, place at your feet or against your core. Retains heat for 4 to 6 hours. Cost: $10-$15.
- Hand and body warmers. Chemical heat packs (HotHands, similar) generate 100 to 180 degrees of surface heat for 8 to 12 hours. Safe indoors, no flame, no CO. About $1 per pair. Keep a box in your kit.
- Battery-powered heated blankets and vests. Draw 30 to 60 watts from a power station or large power bank. A heated blanket running on low for 6 to 8 hours overnight uses about 180 to 350 Wh. Safe, no combustion, no CO.
- Warm food and drinks. A thermos of hot water prepared before the outage stays warm for 12+ hours. Warm liquids raise your core temperature from the inside. Eat calorie-dense food; your body burns calories to generate heat.
- Mylar emergency blankets. Reflect up to 90% of your body heat back to you. Crinkly and uncomfortable alone, but excellent as a layer under regular blankets or taped over a window. About $2 each.
The other scenario
When the heat breaks but the power is on.
This is the scenario most preparedness guides skip entirely. Your building's HVAC system fails, the boiler breaks, or the landlord has not turned the heat on yet. The grid is fine. Your apartment is cold. This happens more often than grid outages in many buildings.
When the power is still on, you have one option that does not exist during an outage: an electric space heater. Used correctly, a single electric space heater can keep one room livable. Used incorrectly, it is involved in an average of 1,600 fires per year in the United States, resulting in approximately 70 deaths and 150 injuries annually, according to the CPSC.
Electric space heater safety (power-on scenario only)
- Plug directly into a wall outlet. Never into an extension cord, power strip, or surge protector. Space heaters draw 1,000 to 1,500 watts. Extension cords and power strips overheat and start fires.
- Maintain a 3-foot clearance on all sides. From beds, curtains, papers, clothing, furniture, and anything else that can catch fire. The CPSC's three-foot rule is not a suggestion.
- Turn it off when you leave the room or go to sleep. Never leave a space heater running unattended or overnight. If you need overnight warmth, use the passive strategies above or a battery-powered heated blanket.
- Place it on a hard, level surface. Not on carpet, not on a rug, not on a table where it can be knocked over. A heater that tips over onto a rug is a common fire origin.
- Keep children and pets away. The surface of some heaters reaches temperatures that cause contact burns in seconds.
- Buy one with automatic tip-over shutoff and overheat protection. These are standard on name-brand units. Do not buy a heater without them.
Source: CPSC, "Keep Warm and Safe This Winter," cpsc.gov, January 23, 2026.
If your building's heat has failed and your landlord is unresponsive, this may also be a habitability issue. Most jurisdictions require landlords to maintain minimum indoor temperatures (typically 65-68 degrees Fahrenheit) during heating season. Document the temperature with a thermometer, notify the landlord in writing, and contact your local housing authority if the issue persists. The full guide to landlord communication and your rights is in the Renter's Guide.
Vulnerable household members
Cold affects some people faster than others.
Approximately 1,300 people die from hypothermia each year in the United States. Indoor hypothermia is a documented risk for older adults, infants, and people with certain medical conditions or medications. If anyone in your household falls into these categories, your threshold for leaving should be lower.
Older adults (65+)
The National Institute on Aging recommends indoor temperatures of at least 68 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit for older adults. The NIA specifically warns that even mildly cool homes with temperatures from 60 to 65 degrees can lead to hypothermia in this population. Older adults lose body heat faster than younger people, may not feel cold as quickly due to age-related changes in temperature sensation, and may have medications (blood pressure drugs, thyroid medications, over-the-counter cold remedies) that impair temperature regulation.
If the apartment drops below 65 degrees and an older adult is present, begin preparing to relocate to a heated space. Do not wait until symptoms appear. Hypothermia affects the brain first, making it difficult for the person experiencing it to recognize what is happening.
Source: NIA, "Cold Weather Safety for Older Adults," nia.nih.gov, updated January 2026.
Infants and young children
Infants lose body heat faster than adults and cannot generate heat as effectively through shivering. The CDC identifies young children as being at greater risk for hypothermia. Keep infants warm using layers, not loose blankets (which are a suffocation risk in cribs). A wearable sleep sack or swaddling blanket over warm clothing is safer. If the apartment becomes cold enough to concern you, relocate. Infants cannot tell you they are cold.
People with medical conditions
Diabetes can reduce blood flow and impair the body's ability to maintain normal temperature. Thyroid disorders can affect temperature regulation. Parkinson's disease and arthritis can make it physically difficult to put on more clothing or get to a warmer location. Some medications, including blood pressure drugs (particularly non-selective beta-blockers) and over-the-counter cold medicines, can interfere with the body's heat response. If any household member has these conditions, plan to leave earlier than you otherwise would.
Source: NIA, "Cold Weather Safety for Older Adults," nia.nih.gov. CDC, "Preventing Hypothermia," cdc.gov.
The decision
When to leave. Where to go.
The hardest part of staying warm in a cold apartment is deciding when the apartment is no longer warm enough. The answer depends on who is in your household and how long the outage is expected to last.
Healthy adults: below 50 degrees for more than a few hours
Prolonged exposure to indoor temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit is uncomfortable and increasingly risky, particularly during sleep. If your apartment reaches this point and you have no effective way to warm it, relocate.
Older adults, infants, or medically vulnerable: below 60-65 degrees
The NIA's threshold for concern is 60 to 65 degrees for older adults. For infants and people with conditions that impair temperature regulation, use the same threshold. Do not wait for symptoms. Leave while everyone can still move comfortably.
Anyone showing symptoms of hypothermia: immediately
Warning signs include shivering that stops (a dangerous sign, not an improvement), slurred speech, confusion, drowsiness, slow or shallow breathing, and loss of coordination. Call 911. Move the person to warmth. Warm the center of the body first (chest, neck, head, groin). Warm drinks if the person is conscious and alert. Do not give alcohol.
Source: CDC, "Preventing Hypothermia," cdc.gov.
Where to go
- A friend or family member's heated home. The best option. Familiar, comfortable, and available immediately.
- A public warming center. Many cities open warming centers during cold weather emergencies. Your city or county emergency management website will list locations. Some operate 24 hours during declared emergencies.
- A hotel or motel. If you can afford it and one is available. Book early in a widespread outage; they fill fast.
- An emergency shelter. The Red Cross and local emergency management agencies operate shelters during declared weather emergencies. Call 211 or check redcross.org for locations.
Before you leave
Protect the pipes. Even if you go.
Frozen pipes burst, and in an apartment building, a burst pipe in one unit can flood units below it. Even if you leave, take steps to reduce the risk of frozen pipes in your unit.
- Open cabinet doors under sinks. This allows whatever warmth remains in the apartment to reach the pipes along exterior walls.
- Let faucets drip slowly. A thin stream of running water is harder to freeze than standing water in a pipe. Both hot and cold lines on exterior walls.
- Know your water shutoff. If a pipe does burst, the fastest way to limit damage is to shut off the water. In most apartments, individual shutoff valves are under the sink. The building's main shutoff is in a utility room; know where it is and whether you have access.
- Notify building management. If you are leaving because of a heating failure, tell management. They may be able to take building-level steps (draining pipes, emergency heating) that protect the entire structure.
If you return to find a burst pipe or water damage, photograph everything before touching anything. This documentation is the foundation of your renter's insurance claim and any dispute with the landlord about responsibility. The full guide to post-event documentation and insurance claims is in the After the Event section of the Apartment Emergency guide.
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