Back Home Unit

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Back Home Unit

Visit the Back Home Portal

The Back Home Unit supports tenants who have been displaced from their homes due to a fire, vacate order, or other emergency that makes a building unsafe to live in. If you had to leave your home because of a vacate order, please complete the Intake Form on our Portal so our team can review your situation and connect you to available resources and next steps.

The Back Home Unit can be reached by phone at (212) 389-6670 and by email at backhome@recovery.nyc.gov.


Back Home Portal

Access the Back Home Portal.


Tenant Resource Guide

Tenant Resource Guide Cover

The Tenant Resource Guide provides step-by-step information about what happens when an emergency affects the safety of a residential building. It explains tenant rights, landlord and owner responsibilities, and the City resources available to support recovery and a safe return home.


Partnerships

The Back Home Unit works in partnership with these other NYC agencies:

  • Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD)
    HPD oversees housing conditions and tenant protections, including housing violations, essential services, and certain vacate orders. Visit HPD’s site to check housing violations, vacate order status, and learn about tenant rights and building conditions.

  • Department of Buildings (DOB)
    DOB is responsible for building safety and construction oversight, including building violations and vacate orders related to structural or safety concerns. Visit DOB’s site to look up building violations, inspection records, and vacate order status, in addition to resources for tenants.

  • Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants (MOPT)
    The Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants coordinates across agencies to protect the rights of tenants and to improve affordability and quality of housing for tenants by working with tenants in New York City. Visit MOTP’s site for tenant guidance, referrals, and citywide housing support information.

  • Fire Department of New York (FDNY)
    FDNY’s primary mission is to provide fire protection, emergency medical care, fire prevention, and other critical public safety services to both residents and visitors in New York City's five boroughs.