In order to keep the public safe, New York City enforces the Housing Safety Maintenance Code on
behalf of tenants. The Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) works to ensure physical safety
and quality homes for those who live in them by conducting housing inspections and code enforcement.
What is the Housing Maintenance Code?
- Code covers heat and hot water, mold, pests, gas leaks, fire safety and more
- A housing inspector will issue violations for the following conditions if they exist:
- Lead-based paint hazards
- Missing Carbon monoxide detectors
- Missing smoke detectors
- Missing window guards (if a child under 11 lives in the unit)
- Apartment of public area doors do not self-close
- Illegal window gates
- Double-cylinder locks
- Mold and/or pests
- The owner has 14-21 days to rectify the issue or emergency repairs will be conducted and
charged to the building owner
What can you do to mitigate risk?
- Search your building address on the HPD website to access any complaints, violations, litigations, property registration, charges and block information
- Once a violation has been corrected, the property owner must notify HPD through the certification process
For additional information on open violations or if you need to report that your violation has been corrected, visit Housing Preservation & Development.
