Covered Buildings

Local Law 97 generally covers, with some exceptions:

  • Buildings that exceeds 25,000 gross square feet;
  • Two or more buildings on the same tax lot that together exceed 50,000 square feet;
  • Two or more condominium buildings governed by the same board of managers and that together exceed 50,000 square feet.

This definition covers approximately 40,000 New York City buildings and nearly 60 percent of the city's building area. See Covered Buildings for a full list. Note: If you believe your building is not on the list but should be, or is listed and should not be, please contact us.

Covered buildings have different caps for compliance defined by their usage. The limits are based on carbon intensity, or how much greenhouse gas they emit per square foot. Starting in January 2024, all covered buildings are required to meet the carbon emissions standards set for the occupancies within the building. A building may contain multiple occupancy types. For example, a building may have residential units and retail; in that case, the building owner must comply with the limits for each space respectively.

Covered Buildings List

This Covered Buildings List contains properties that may be subject to Local Law 97 of 2019 under Article 28-320 or Article 28-321. We strongly encourage building owners to work with a registered design professional (RDP) to confirm whether your building is subject to the law.

2022 LL97 CBL (pdf)
2022 LL97 CBL (Excel)

If you believe your property is erroneously listed on this Covered Buildings List, contact DOF at benchmarking@finance.nyc.gov to dispute any of the following: square footage of the building, number of buildings on a tax lot, ownership, address or mailing information. Please include the following in the email:

  • borough, block, and lot number of the building
  • contact information: name, email address or/and telephone number
  • reason for dispute

Owners must report their building's emissions annually, with the first report due by May 1, 2025. The reports are required to state whether their building is in compliance with applicable emissions limit. Go to our Reporting page to learn more about how to file this report.

Local Law 97 does include alternative compliance pathways for some buildings covered under the law. Buildings with alternative compliance pathways are:

  • An industrial facility primarily used for the generation of electric power or steam.
  • Multifamily residences which do not exceed three stories, which are owned and maintained by each individual dwelling unit owner, with no central HVAC system or hot water heating system serving more than 25,000 Square Feet.
  • New York City government owned buildings.
  • A housing development or building on land owned by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA).
  • Rent regulated accommodations with more than 35% rent-regulated dwelling units.
  • A building whose main use or dominant occupancy is classified as occupancy group A-3 religious house of worship.
  • Buildings owned by a housing development fund company.
  • Buildings that participate in a project-based Federal housing program.

Exceptions

Certain buildings are not required to comply with Local Law 97. Those include industrial buildings that primarily produce electrical power or steam, and detached or semi-detached buildings of three stories or less, where each owner owns and maintains their own HVAC and hot water systems that serve spaces of 25,000 square feet or less.