NYC DOB

The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) has created a new, real-time interactive map showing the location of buildings currently racking up a disproportionate number of hazardous violations.

The simple and straightforward map lets you either punch in an address or hover over individual dots to see both the number of DOB and the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) violations for a given property, as well as the violations per unit. The map is updated daily as buildings are added or taken off the list.     

Properties singled out on the map are also prevented from obtaining DOB work permits until the violations are resolved and the conditions are corrected — except in situations where permits are necessary to correct a violation or other select circumstances.  

The permit restrictions, which began last month, will apply to violations issued on or after January 4, 2020, the date Local Law 104 went into effect. Restrictions will address violations that have not been certified as having been resolved with DOB or cleared by HPD. The DOB used the following criteria to make their determinations:

  • Buildings with 35 or more dwelling units and two or more violations for every unit.   
  • Buildings with fewer than 35 dwelling units and three or more violations for every unit.    

Permit restrictions will also be applied to submissions in the Department’s DOB NOW portal in the near future.   

The DOB's goal in releasing this map was to further assist with the implementation of Local Law 104, as well as to provide a new level of transparency for the public. The DOB also hopes the map will keep New Yorkers from leasing in buildings that have a high number of unresolved hazardous violations.

"Landlords are on notice: fix your buildings and keep your tenants safe,” said Buildings Commissioner Melanie E. La Rocca, in a statement. “New Yorkers now have easy access to information that lets them know if a landlord is behind on fixing hazardous conditions in their buildings, and where any new work could be a form of tenant harassment. We're proud to look out for our neighbors and helping build a fairer city for all."