January 2023 Bulletin to Property Owners

Dear Property Owners,

The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) periodically provides updates on new legislation and information on available materials and resources to residential building owners to support compliance with the New York City Housing Maintenance Code, the New York State Multiple Dwelling Law and other relevant city codes. To translate this webpage, click on the translate button in the header above.

This publication is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice. This information is not a complete or final statement of all the duties of owners and tenants regarding laws and rules relating to housing in New York City.

Important Dates

(Further detalis on requirements are below.)

December 1-December 31: Annual Bedbug Filing (file online with HPD) Property owners of multiple dwelling(s) are required to file the Annual Bed Bug Report electronically with HPD. Only non-corporate owners (individual owners or joint owners) may submit paper reports. The filing period starts December 1st and ends December 31st. For more information about Bedbug filing see the October 2022 bulletin or visit HPD’s webpage.

Annually inspect units for indoor allergen hazards such as mice, cockroaches, rats, and mold. You can keep records properly by using HPD’s Sample Investigative Report.

Annually distribute a Notice regarding the availability of Stove Knob Covers.

Property Registration – Now with Extended Appointment Hours!

Property Registration for the 2022 – 2023 cycle is OVERDUE (it was due September 1st, 2022!) If you still have not submitted your registration, you will have received a violation from HPD for failure to register. You will be unable to file for Dismissal Requests, file certifications of correction, or file actions against tenants in Housing Court, until you file your registration. Once you file a valid registration and pay the fee, the violation will be dismissed automatically.

If you need assistance with registering your property, go to HPD’s webpage or please reach out to the Registration Assistance Unit via email (Register@hpd.nyc.gov) or telephone (212-863-7000). We are also offering extended appointment hours via our web scheduler. To make an appointment, visit Registration Enquiries (timetap.com).

Self-Closing Doors

You are required to repair self-closing doors within 14 days of the Notice of Violations. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) is required to reinspect ALL self-closing door violations.

To check that a self-closing door has been repaired properly, an owner should make sure that:

1. The self-closing door swings fully shut when fully opened;
2. If there is a latch on the self-closing door, it must engage when the door swings shut;
3. There is not any condition or obstruction that prevents the self-closing door from operating (poor alignment, defective closing mechanism or defective/missing/loose hinges, a device or item that is holding - or is capable of holding-the self-closing door open);
4. There are no missing public hall fire doors where: (a) there is a door frame without a door, or (b) mounting sites with removed hinges, or (c) fire doors that are present in equivalent locations on other floors for building sections;
5. There are no excessive gaps at the top, bottom or sides between the door and the door frame.

You can certify corrections using the Notice of Violations mailed to you or through eCertification. Failure to correct the condition properly and certify the correction of that condition may result in the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) hiring a vendor to complete the repairs and charging the costs plus additional administration expenses of 50% of the costs. If the owner fails to pay, the unpaid charges will become a tax lien against the property. The tax lien will accrue interest if not paid timely and may be sold and/or foreclosed to collect the amount owed. In addition, the property owner may incur civil penalties related to the failure to comply.

For more information on other fire safety requirements, please visit HPD’s webpages on stove knob covers and smoke detectors. You can also download HPD’s Fire Safety Flyer to learn more about how to prevent fires in your residential building.

Indoor Allergen Hazards

Owners of multiple dwellings are required by Local Law 55 of 2018 to:

• Inspect units annually for indoor allergen hazards such as mice, cockroaches, rats, and mold, and respond to any complaints received directly from tenants or HPD. Make sure vacant apartments are thoroughly cleaned and free of pests and mold before a new tenant moves in.
• Provide the What Tenants and Landlords Should Know About Indoor Allergens and Local Law 55 fact sheet and a Notice with each tenant’s lease that clearly states the property owner’s responsibilities to keep the building free of indoor allergens.
• Remediate pest infestation. Use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to address pest infestations. The safe work practices in Housing Maintenance Code Section 27-2017.9 and Title 28 of the Rules of the City of New York section 54-04 must be followed when assessing and correcting any underlying defects (such as moisture) that may have caused the infestation. IPM Requirements.
• Remediate mold conditions. For more information on mold remediation and the specific requirements for your building (work practices and required contractors), see our Allergen Hazards webpage.

Stove Knob Covers Annual Notice

Property owners of multiple dwellings are required to provide tenants with an Annual Notice (available in multiple languages on HPD’s website page) on Stove Knob Covers which must inform tenants that:

• Stove knob covers or permanent stove safety knobs will be made available within thirty days of distributing the annual notice,
• The owner must provide stove knob covers or permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms for gas-powered stoves to any household that requests them, regardless of whether a child under six lives in the unit, and
• Tenants can forego stove knob covers through written refusal to the landlord. If a tenant does not submit written refusal to the owner, the owner is still obligated to provide stove knob covers or permanent stove safety knobs with integrated locking mechanisms for gas-powered stoves to any household where the owner knows or reasonably should know that a child under age six resides

It is the owner’s obligation to keep documented proof of any notification of refusal for stove knob covers, notification from dwelling units that requested stove knob covers, and documented proof that the owner attempted to provide stove knob covers to a household where the owner knows or reasonably should know that a child under age six resides. Owners are not required to submit notices to HPD.