Your Own Water Heater or the Building's Boiler?

Condo Book Research · Updated Oct 11, 2026 · 3 min read

It used to be that a central boiler in the basement supplied every apartment's hot water. In new NYC condos, it's increasingly a tank in your own closet. We read the hot water specs in more than 1,600 offering plans.

Hot water is easy to take for granted until you're the one paying for it, or replacing the tank. In new NYC condos, the answer to "where does my hot water come from?" has changed a lot.

We read the hot water specs in more than 1,600 NYC condo offering plans. Here's what we found.

The Short Version

• About 65% of plans filed since 2024 put a water heater in each apartment, up from 37% before 2016.
• Central boilers dropped from 55% of plans to about 24%.
• Building size is the biggest factor: small buildings use in-unit tanks; big buildings still use central systems.
• If the heater is in your apartment, you almost always pay for the energy and the replacement.

How It's Changed

Part of this is the small-building boom in Brooklyn, where in-unit tanks are standard. Part of it is the move away from gas: an electric water heater in each apartment is a simple way to build without a gas boiler.

Building Size Is the Biggest Factor

Among plans filed since 2022:

• Under 10 apartments: about 76% use a tank in each apartment, and another 13% use tankless heaters.
• 30 to 99 apartments: about 65% use a central boiler.
• 100+ apartments: more than 80% use a central system.

A handful of newer buildings use central heat pump water heaters, which make hot water with electricity for the whole building. Expect to see more of them as city climate laws push large buildings off gas.

Who Pays for Hot Water?

It follows the equipment. Among plans that say who pays:

• In buildings under 10 apartments, owners pay directly in about 86% of cases, through their own electric or gas bill.
• In buildings with 30 to 99 apartments, hot water is part of common charges about 63% of the time.
• In buildings with 100+ apartments, it's in common charges in essentially every plan that says.

That's one reason common charges in big buildings can look higher: they're covering a bill that small-building owners pay separately. More in who pays which utilities in NYC condos.

Living With an In-Unit Water Heater

• It takes up space. A tank usually lives in a utility closet, often alongside the HVAC air handler.
• You'll replace it eventually. Tank water heaters typically last around 10 to 15 years, and replacement is the owner's cost.
• Check the size. A small tank in a three-bedroom can mean lukewarm showers when everyone's home. The plan often lists the model or capacity.
• Look for a drain pan and leak detection. A leaking tank can damage your neighbor's ceiling, and your insurance will care.

Common Questions

Do NYC condos have individual water heaters?

Increasingly, yes. About 65% of NYC condo offering plans filed since 2024 put a tank water heater in each apartment, and another 8% use tankless heaters.

Is hot water included in NYC condo common charges?

In large buildings with a central boiler, usually yes. In small buildings with an in-unit water heater, owners almost always pay for it on their own utility bill.

Who replaces a condo water heater?

If it's inside your apartment and serves only your unit, it's generally your responsibility. Check the offering plan and bylaws for the building's rules.

What is district steam?

Con Edison's steam network, which heats some Manhattan buildings and their hot water. It appears in a handful of older plans but almost none filed recently.

Where this comes from: the hot water systems described in about 1,650 NYC condo offering plans, and who pays for hot water in about 500, grouped by the year the plan was first filed. Percentages are of plans that describe the system. Updated October 2026.