Residential Health Emergencies

Dear [Landlord or Property Management Company],

All residential properties must comply with the Rules and Regulations Governing Residential Health pursuant to Chapter 27 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code. I am writing to notify you of the following issues in my residence, that I believe are not in conformance with the Rules and Regulations:

[Insert Concerns]

You can find the Rules and Regulations Governing Residential Health at https://www.denvergov.org/content/dam/denvergov/Portals/771/documents/PHI/HFHH/Residential-Housing-Regulation.pdf.

If my concerns are not addressed in a timely manner, I will be filing a complaint with the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Here are some helpful tips when you don’t have running water:

• Use bottled water for hand washing and cooking
• Use paper plates during meal time
• Have hand sanitizer or baby wipes available
• Check with your local recreational center or gym to see if public showers are available for use

Resources

• Drink Safe Water(PDF, 2MB)

• Contact your landlord or property management company to see if they have any temporary heat sources available
• Do not use a gas stove or other kitchen appliances to heat your home 
• Only use generators outdoors and away from windows
• Dress in layers and keep your blinds, drapes and doors closed to prevent heat from escaping 

Resources

• Winter Storm Preparedness
  • English(PDF, 3MB)
  • Spanish(PDF, 3MB)

For power outages/loose wires/wires hanging low, please contact Xcel Energy directly at 800-895-4999

• Only use generators outdoors and away from windows
• Turn off or disconnect any appliances (like stoves), equipment or electronics you were using when the power went out. When power comes back on, surges or spikes can damage equipment 
• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.
  • First use perishable foods from the refrigerator. An unopened refrigerator will keep foods cold for about 4 hours.
  • Then use food from the freezer. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed.
  • And remember, when in doubt, throw it out! Any food that rises above 40°F for more than 2 hours should be disposed of – see FoodSafety.Gov for more information 
• Have alternate plans for refrigerating medication (store in a cooler with ice pack, etc.)
• Leave one light turned on so you’ll know when the power comes back on

Resources

• Medication Preparedness Checklist(PDF, 9MB)

Have an emergency kit prepared with the following items:

Resources

• Pet Disaster Kit Checklist(PDF, 71MB)
• Medication Preparedness Checklist(PDF, 9MB)