NYC Council OKs appliance installation mandate, critics warn of rising costs

The New York City Council on Thursday approved a bill that would require gas ovens, dryers and other appliances to be installed by licensed master plumbers or specially-qualified technicians. The measure passed 47-1 and would take effect 120 days after it is signed into law by Mayor Eric Adams. The proposal aims to curb unsafe hookups linked to past accidents and to standardize how such installations are handled in New York City's housing stock, including rent-stabilized units.

Bronx Councilwoman Pierina Sanchez, who spearheaded the proposal, pointed to the deadly 2015 East Village gas explosion as a justification for the new rules. The blast killed two people and leveled several buildings after an illegal hookup caused a dangerous gas leak. “Y’all, public, in the city of New York, should not be installing a gas range yourself,” Sanchez said ahead of the vote. “It’s not safe.” She framed the measure as a clarification of existing practice rather than a major departure, emphasizing that the city seeks to ensure that installations are performed by those with proper training and credentials. The bill, she said, could still raise demand for master plumbers, a point she acknowledged as the city weighs workforce development strategies for the trades.

Critics from the New York Apartment Association, which represents landlords in rent-stabilized units, argued the action wasn’t necessary and would drive up costs. Kenny Burgos, a leader of the advocacy group, estimated licensed professionals could charge as much as $500 to install or change gas appliances, a figure he said would be passed along to tenants. “The law will add hundreds of dollars to every installation because it will require licensed master plumbers to perform a job that store technicians, building supers, contractors and handy homeowners have been doing safely for decades,” Burgos wrote in a recent op-ed. He also warned there may not be enough qualified plumbers to meet demand and highlighted a potential logistics bottleneck if a large number of appliances require certified labor at once. Burgos told Fox Business that the city’s supply of master plumbers could be insufficient to handle routine demand.

Sanchez argued the change is not a new requirement so much as a clearer standard. “Anyone who is making complaints with respect to that change, it’s not really a change, it’s just a clarification,” she said. She acknowledged that the measure could heighten demand for master plumbers and that deploying more trained workers would require policy work, particularly to expand pathways into the trades and to ensure there are enough qualified specialists to handle the installations as new rules are implemented. There are roughly 1,100 master plumbers in the city, a figure cited by supporters and noted by observers as potentially insufficient for the volume of installations citywide.

The council’s lone dissenting vote came from Kevin Riley, who represents part of the Bronx. He did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday evening. The Adams administration also did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether the mayor supports the measure. If Adams signs the bill, the law would go into effect 120 days later, giving time for the city to finalize planning, training and certification processes for the trades that would be involved.

Supporters described the measure as a necessary safeguard that aligns with the kind of professional oversight seen in other building trades, while opponents warned it could impose higher costs on building owners and renters alike. The debate reflects ongoing questions about how cities balance safety, housing affordability and the availability of skilled workers in essential trades, especially in a high-cost housing market.