G-2Gas · smell of gas
What to do if you smell gas
If you smell gas in your NYC building, leave right away with everyone you can, touch nothing that could spark, and call 911 and your gas utility only once you are outside and away.
Which building is yours?
- Prewar walk-upWalk down the stairs and out with everyone in your apartment, call from the sidewalk, then tell the owner or super once 911 has the report.
- Brownstone or row houseGet every floor out, tenants included, and call from down the block. If you own the house, the repair to your own piping is yours to arrange.
- Co-op or condo high-riseLeave the building, call 911 and the utility from the street, then tell the front desk or super. Building piping is the board’s to repair.
- Two-family houseOwner and tenant both leave; whoever noticed it calls from outside. The owner, not the tenant, hires the Licensed Master Plumber for any repair.
- New-build condoLeave even if your own unit has no gas stove: the building may still have gas piping in the cellar, a boiler room or a shop downstairs.
What should you do first if you smell gas?
Leave. Con Edison’s own order is plain: recognize the signs, then "leave immediately and take others with you", then call (Con Edison gas safety). National Grid says the same thing in fewer words: go outside, then call 911 or its emergency line (National Grid). Do not stop to find the source. Con Edison says you "should not investigate a suspected leak on your own" (Con Edison gas leak FAQ).
That holds for a faint smell too. Con Edison’s gas safety page says that even if the odor isn’t very strong, you should still leave the area, taking others, and then call. Do not assume a neighbor already called, and you do not have to give your name.
Why no light switches, doorbells or phones?
A small electric spark can ignite gas that has built up in a room. Con Edison lists matches, smoking, flipping a switch, ringing a doorbell, and touching "appliances or electronics, including your phone". National Grid adds thermostats and pulling plugs from outlets. So the phone stays in your pocket until you are out on the street and well away from the door.
Who do you call, and from where?
Call 911 and your gas utility from outside, far enough from the building that you are safe if something happens. Your utility is Con Edison or National Grid, whichever one sends your gas bill; each lists its gas emergency line on its own website. Then tell the owner, super or management company. In a rental, the owner is the one who must get a licensed plumber in to make repairs (NYC DOB, Gas Cut Off).
The Con Edison clip above is aimed at its own customers and reads out a phone number; use the line your own utility lists instead. Whatever the clip says about a slight smell, the rule here does not change: walk out first, and phone 911 and the utility only from outside, away from the building, even when the smell is faint.
What are the other signs of a gas leak?
The rotten-egg smell is added to gas so people notice it. Con Edison also lists a hissing, whistling or roaring sound, a white cloud or blowing dust near a pipe, bubbles in standing water, and plants dying for no clear reason. National Grid adds a stove flame that burns far too high or too low and water leaking from a gas heater. Any one of these is a reason to leave and call.
Legend: the numbers on this plate
- 22 minutesCon Edison’s stated average response time to a gas leak callCon Edison
- Jan 1, 2027Natural gas detectors due in multiple dwellings and rented 1–2 family homes with gas piping (as of 11 Nov 2026)HPD detector rules
- 10%Detector should alarm at or below this share of the lower explosive levelCon Edison
- 12 inchesMount a gas detector within this distance of the ceiling, in the room with the gas pipe or applianceCon Edison
What happens after the utility arrives?
A crew checks the building and finds the leak. If the problem is in the building’s private piping or equipment, Con Edison says it turns off the gas until a plumber or technician makes the repairs. From there the owner has to hire a Licensed Master Plumber and work through city filings before gas comes back; that sequence is on when the gas is shut off in your building. Never reopen a valve or relight a pilot yourself after a shutoff.
| Building | Who gets out | Who to tell once safe | Who pays for the repair |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prewar walk-up | You and your household, by the stairs | Owner or super | Owner |
| Brownstone or row house | Every floor, including tenants | Your tenants, if you own; the owner, if you rent | Owner |
| Co-op or condo high-rise | Your household and anyone near you | Front desk, super or management company | Board for building piping |
| Two-family house | Both units | The owner | Owner |
| New-build condo | Your household | Building staff or board | Board for common piping |
Why do some city notices list other steps?
A few city pages and the gas-leak notice owners must post add steps to do inside before leaving. This site follows the gas utilities, which put leaving first, because every second inside is time spent near the gas. If a notice in your lobby reads differently, it is still right that you go out before doing anything else.
Will a detector warn you earlier?
From January 1, 2027, a building with gas piping needs a natural gas detector if it is a multiple dwelling or a one- or two-family home with a tenant, according to HPD’s page on 11 Nov 2026 (HPD detectors). The date is set by Local Law 102 of 2025 and could still move, so check HPD’s page. A carbon monoxide alarm does not detect a gas leak; Con Edison says so directly. Your nose, and leaving, still come first.
Questions people ask
Should you call from your apartment if the smell is faint?
No. Walk out first, even for a light smell, and call once you are outside and away from the door. A phone is one of the things that can spark.
Do you have to give your name when you report a leak?
Con Edison says you do not. It also says not to assume someone else in the building has called already.
Is it safe to go back in once the crew leaves?
Only when the utility or fire department says so. If the gas was shut off, it stays off until the owner’s plumber finishes the repair and the utility tests the piping.
Who pays if the leak is in your own house?
If you own a brownstone or two-family house, the piping inside your property is yours, and you hire a Licensed Master Plumber. Tenants do not pay for building piping.
Does a gas smell in the hallway count?
Yes. Treat it the same way: leave the building, take others with you, and call from outside.
How this plate was drawn
Built from Con Edison’s gas safety and leak FAQ pages, National Grid’s emergency page, DOB’s tenant page on gas cut-offs and HPD’s detector page, all checked 11 Nov 2026. Some city notices put extra indoor steps ahead of leaving; we follow the utilities’ leave-first order on purpose. We do not say which utility serves which neighborhood, because we found no city source for that. Whether the January 2027 detector date will be pushed back was not settled when we checked.
Sources
- Con Edison — Gas Safety Tips, Resources, and Guides · signs of a leak, spark list, detector advice · checked 11 Nov 2026
- Con Edison — Gas Leak: Frequently Asked Questions · leave first, response time, private-piping shutoff · checked 11 Nov 2026
- National Grid — Report a Gas Emergency · go outside first, what not to touch · checked 11 Nov 2026
- NYC DOB — Gas Cut Off · owner repairs and licensed plumber · checked 11 Nov 2026
- HPD — detector rules for smoke, CO and gas · natural gas detector date and coverage · checked 11 Nov 2026
Plate G-2 · revised 11 Nov 2026