D.C. resident Truly Stern started the petition after her apartment temperature reached around 84°F, and after her building managers refused to turn the air conditioning on prior to that May 15 date.

Several petition signers noted that in D.C., many buildings do not offer a/c and heat options at the same time — it’s one or the other.

“I live in a heat/AC transition co-op and portions of the spring and fall are intolerable,” wrote petition signer Kyle Burke

Stern told Fox 5 that newer complexes where residents can control their own air conditioners aren’t an option, as she can’t afford them.

"Who tends to live in those [older] buildings? It's more marginalized in low-income communities, so it leads to a bigger discussion about that, too," Stern said. "Just because people are paying lower rent doesn't mean they should be subject to [uninhabitable] units, and an 84° apartment is quite hot."

The air conditioning guidelines apply to schools as well, and they, too, are suffering. The Washington Examiner said one classroom reached 81°F. A fourth grade math teacher, Alexa Cacibauda, tried to make it cooler for her students by turning on the fans and turning off the lights, but it ended up being cooler for the students if they played outside.

Some D.C. residents took their outrage to the internet.

“The government of DC says that my apartment building and schools aren’t compelled turn on the a/c for another 32 days,” posted one Twitter user on April 13, along with an image of an air conditioning unit projecting 85°F.

Meanwhile, on PoPville.com, a website that chronicles the happenings in Washington D.C.’s neighborhoods, the link to the petition was posted by another resident whose building management would not turn on the a/c prior to the May 15 data that’s managed by D.C. law.

“My apartment has been above 80° for over two days despite fans running, blinds closed, and every other measure I could take to mitigate the heat inside my unit,” they wrote. “First, wondering if anyone has had any luck getting their building to make the a/c switch early and if they have any tips to share. Second, D.C. needs to update this 2014 law to align with the reality that climate change is real and temperatures are getting hotter earlier and earlier every year.”

According to the Washington Examiner, D.C. public schools start changing their air conditioners around April 1. A Washington Department of General Services (DGS) official said, "DGS remains committed to providing safe and efficient air filtration, ventilation, and comfort within all District buildings. Some school facilities are able to turn on their air conditioning system because they have a newer system, which requires a less intensive process. Other facilities use an older system, which requires a more intense heating-to-cooling turnover process. We appreciate your patience during the annual cooling switch-over period that began on April 1 and will continue until May 15."

For residents in stifling apartment units, though, patience was nowhere to be found.

“This is getting ridiculous,” wrote petition signer Jessica Tang. “It’s 85° in my apartment with no a/c. … I'm currently sick with a fever and at this point it's just dangerous. I'm forced to choose between resting in the common areas and getting everyone around me sick, or staying my sweltering apartment and becoming a heat casualty.”

“Climate change is real. Change the law,” wrote petition signer Jean Link. “Make apartment buildings install solar by a certain date at the same time.”