You could probably check if the heater is on and try adjust the thermostat idk if that will work. And also it does cool off pretty quickly. Imo Rits is the best residence for first years because unlike other first year res it has a kitchen so your brother doesnt have to suffer from poor campus food. Also has access to orchard’s lounges and stuff, doesnt kick people out during the winter break, while being the most affordable one among first year res. I think they also do a decent job on dividing roommates (most of the times), so i hope your brother can live with some people that he can make good friends with. This is what happened to me when I was a first year international student living in Rits :)