Beat the Heat! Summer Tips to Keep Residents Cool and Safe
As temperatures climb each summer, so do utility bills, maintenance requests, and resident concerns. For property managers, a heat wave can quickly put both people and property under added stress.
The good news? Heat-related issues are largely preventable. A few simple preparations and timely reminders can go a long way toward keeping your community safe, comfortable, and prepared all season long. Here are some tips to help residents stay cool when the temperatures rise.
Start with the building
Before you talk to residents, make sure the property is ready to do its job.
Service cooling systems early. Whether you rely on central air, in-unit units, or window ACs, schedule maintenance before the first heat wave, not during it. A unit that fails at 98°F is both a comfort problem and, potentially, a habitability one.
Cool your common areas. Lobbies, community rooms, and hallways can double as informal cooling spaces when a resident's unit gets too warm. Make sure those spaces stay comfortable and let residents know they're welcome there.
Shade the sun before it gets in. Encourage residents to close blinds, drapes, or shades during the hottest part of the day. It's a small habit that meaningfully lowers indoor temperatures. Where it makes sense, weather-stripping, window film, and added insulation pay off across every summer that follows.
Check the low-tech basics. Confirm that windows open and close properly, screens are intact, and any resident-installed window units are braced safely so they don't fall or block emergency exits.
Talk to residents before the heat does
A brief, calm message a few days ahead of a forecasted heat wave does more good than a dozen after the fact. Keep it practical and reassuring rather than alarming:
Drink water regularly. Don't wait until you feel thirsty.
Keep blinds closed during the day and open windows in the cooler evening hours if it's safe to do so.
Avoid using the oven or stove during peak heat.
Take a cool shower to bring body temperature down.
Check on your neighbors, especially anyone who lives alone.
One important correction to a common myth worth including in your message: a fan is not a reliable way to cool down in extreme heat. Once indoor temperatures climb above about 90°F, a fan mostly circulates hot air and can actually raise body temperature rather than lower it. Fans help with airflow and comfort at moderate temperatures, but they are not a substitute for air conditioning or a cooler space.
Look out for your most vulnerable residents
Heat affects some residents more than others. Older adults, young children, and people with certain medical conditions or medications are especially vulnerable during periods of extreme heat.
Consider maintaining an informal list of residents who may benefit from an extra check-in during a heat wave, while staying compliant with privacy policies and fair housing requirements. A quick phone call or wellness check can make a meaningful difference.
Compliance related heat considerations
In June 2024, HUD issued Notice PIH 2024-20, clarifying that public housing agencies may treat severe or extreme heat as reasonable grounds for individual relief from cooling-related utility charges. In plain terms: a PHA can raise a resident's utility allowance or waive surcharges tied to air conditioning use during a heat event, so residents aren't penalized for keeping themselves safe. The notice also allows streamlined request forms, and confirms that Capital Funds can go toward installing AC and weatherization, while Operating Funds can cover cooling common areas.
A few things to keep straight:
This specific guidance applies to public housing, not every affordable housing program. If you operate LIHTC, Section 8 project-based, or USDA-RD properties, the mechanics differ.
HUD defines extreme heat as roughly two to three days of high heat and humidity above 90°F, but PHAs have discretion to define it more broadly for their community.
Because the regulations require residents to request relief, a PHA can't grant it automatically to everyone, which is exactly why a simple, well-publicized request form matters.
Even if this particular notice doesn't govern your portfolio, the underlying principle should shape how you think about summer: the way you structure and communicate utility allowances has a direct effect on whether residents can afford to stay cool. That's a compliance question and a resident-safety question at the same time.
Know the warning signs, and when to call 911
Every member of your team, from maintenance to the front desk, should be able to recognize heat illness. The distinction that matters most is between heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Heat exhaustion — serious, but treatable on-site:
Heavy sweating, cold or clammy skin
Weakness, dizziness, or nausea
Headache and a fast, weak pulse
What to do: move the person to a cool place, loosen clothing, apply cool wet cloths, and have them sip water slowly. If symptoms worsen or last longer than an hour, get medical help.
Heat stroke — a life-threatening emergency. Call 911 immediately:
Body temperature of 103°F or higher
Hot skin that may be dry or sweating
Confusion, slurred speech, or fainting
A strong, rapid pulse
What to do while waiting for help: move the person to a cooler area and apply cold, wet cloths or ice packs to the head, neck, armpits, and groin. Do not give fluids to someone who is unconscious.
The properties that handle heat well aren't the ones that react fastest, they're the ones that prepared before the season started. Put AC servicing on the spring calendar. Draft your resident heat-safety message once and reuse it each year. Know where your cooling centers are before you need them. Understand what relief your program allows before a resident asks.
Heat is predictable. That's what makes it manageable. A community that plans for it is a community where summer stays what it should be.
Sources
CDC, About Heat and Your Health and Heat-Related Illnesses — warning signs, at-risk groups, and the fan/90°F guidance.
Ready.gov, Extreme Heat — home cooling steps and the caution against relying on fans as a primary cooling device.
National Weather Service / NOAA, Heat Illness — heat exhaustion vs. heat stroke signs and response.
HUD Notice PIH 2024-20 (June 13, 2024), Responding to Extreme Heat in Public Housing — individual relief for cooling-related utility charges, eligible Capital and Operating Fund uses, and HUD's extreme-heat definition.
For cooling centers: dial 2-1-1 or the National Center for Healthy Housing's Cooling Centers by State directory.