If the owner provides mechanical protection for the romex it Could pass inspection. But it is a bad location for the heater and a bad way to wire the heater. A little more drilling and fishing and the feed could have been installed inside the wall and poked out behind the heater Connection box. That also would provide the mechanical protection necessary for the cable. Code is a minimum standard I hope we all exceed.
what about white socks before labor day? seems that if they could get romex in the box side why couldn't they get it behind the unit and enter the ko in the back, maybe it was a masonry wall.
The landlord isn't by any chance first generation immigrant from Europe? 'Cuz in pretty much any European country I know this would fly after adding a few staples for proper support of the NM cable.
Not sure whether this was discussed previously, but I have a customer (property management company) that has apartments built in the late 70's. They have probably have a hundred or so units with electric baseboard heat with outlets above the heater. Must have been ok then, but what about replacement heaters? I change half a dozen or so a year. Should I start getting the inserts for the receptacles?
The problem is in how much work it is,ie, where the outlet is in relation to where I can install the receptacle in the baseboard. If it is close to one of the locations, then the fishing is easy, otherwise we are into drywall surgery. I'd cover up the plug once a new one was in the baseboard. I suppose I could just take it out, but then lose one of an already too few plugs.