New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) violations may result in civil penalties imposed by the Housing Court if an owner fails to comply with the violation and certify the correction, or if the owner certifies correction falsely. HPD inspections may result in inspection fees. Information about violations and inspection fees is outlined below.
HPD inspections may also result in emergency repair work.
Properties are subject to the penalties described below unless violations are corrected and the correction is certified to the Department by the dates indicated on the front of the Notice of Violation(s) mailed to the property owner or, in the case of heat and hot water violations, from the date the violation is posted at the building.
Annual Property Registration is required by the New York City Housing Maintenance Code (HMC) for all residential properties with the exception of one- or two-family homes occupied by the Owner or the Owner’s immediate family. Failure to file may result in:
False Certification can result in criminal charges. The Housing Maintenance Code provides for a civil penalty of:
HPD may impose an Inspection Fee of $200 if a third or subsequent inspection within a heat season results in a third or subsequent heat violation and if a third or subsequent inspection within a calendar year results in a third or subsequent hot water violation.
Where (1) the department has performed two or more complaint-based inspections in the same dwelling unit within a twelve-month period, (2) each such inspection has resulted in the issuance of a hazardous or immediately hazardous violation (except heat or hot water), and (3) not all such violations have been certified as corrected pursuant to this section, the department may impose an inspection fee of $200 for the third and for each subsequent complaint-based inspection that it performs in such dwelling unit within the same twelve-month period that results in the issuance of a hazardous or immediately hazardous violation, provided that the department may by rule increase the fee for inspections performed during the period of October first through May thirty-first.
Buildings not discharged from the Alternative Enforcement Program within the first four months of the initial notice of selection for the program are subject to fees:
To protest any of the above fees when they appear on your property tax bill, submit your protest in writing and deliver it to the HPD Research and Reconciliation Unit on or before the payment due date listed on the statement of account. You may request information that supports HPD's fees prior to protesting the charge. Failure to protest the fees within the time allowed negates an owner's right to contest the fee in any subsequent administrative or judicial proceeding.
Protests of fees should be mailed to:
HPD Research and Reconciliation Unit
100 Gold Street, Section 6C
New York, NY 10038
For more information, call 212-863-6020 or email hpderp@hpd.nyc.gov.