What is DwellCheck and how does it work?

DwellCheck is a free NYC address intelligence tool that analyzes any New York City address using 15+ official government data sources. Enter an address and receive an instant livability score (0-100) based on building violations, safety statistics, transit access, and environmental factors. Data comes from NYC Open Data including HPD, DOB, 311, NYPD, and MTA sources, refreshed daily.

What data sources does DwellCheck use?

DwellCheck aggregates data from 15+ authoritative NYC government sources: HPD housing violations and complaints, DOB building complaints and permits, 311 service requests (noise, rodents, sanitation), NYPD crime statistics and shooting data, MTA subway station locations, NYC Parks tree census, PLUTO tax lot data, elevator inspection records, bedbug registry, flood zone maps, and US Census ACS demographics. All data is updated daily from NYC Open Data.

How is the livability score calculated?

Each address starts with a baseline score of 100. We apply additive penalties and bonuses based on: Building Health (HPD violations, DOB complaints, elevator outages, bedbug history), Safety (NYPD crime within a 250m walking radius), Transit Access (distance to subway stations, bus routes), and Environment (park access, tree density, noise complaints). The final score is clamped to 0-100, with 70+ considered good. See /methodology for the full penalty constants.

Is DwellCheck free to use?

Yes, basic livability scores and core building data are completely free. Enter any NYC address and instantly see the livability score, safety data, transit access, and key building metrics. Detailed breakdowns, historical trends, full violation lists, and premium neighborhood comparisons are available with paid reports starting at $2.99.

Can DwellCheck help me find rent-stabilized apartments?

Yes, DwellCheck provides rent stabilization estimates based on building age, unit count, and DHCR registration data. Buildings constructed before 1974 with 6+ units are often rent-stabilized in NYC. Our reports indicate stabilization likelihood and link to official DHCR resources for verification. See our dedicated guide on how to check rent stabilization status for any NYC apartment.

How accurate is the crime and safety data?

Crime data comes directly from NYPD complaint records (the same upstream feed as CompStat) and covers all reported incidents. Live address scoring analyzes a 250m walking radius; neighborhood-level safety pages use a 300m radius around the NTA centroid. Each address is compared to its borough average. Note that NYPD publishes complaint data with a ~4-month lag, so YoY windows are anchored to the most recent complete data cutoff (typically Dec 31 of the prior year), not today.

What NYC neighborhoods does DwellCheck cover?

DwellCheck covers all five NYC boroughs with full data: Manhattan (Upper West Side, Upper East Side, Harlem, Financial District, East Village, West Village, Chelsea, Tribeca, Soho, and more), Brooklyn (Williamsburg, Park Slope, Bushwick, Bed-Stuy, DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, and 30+ others), Queens (Astoria, Long Island City, Flushing, Jackson Heights, Forest Hills, and more), The Bronx (Riverdale, Mott Haven, Fordham, and others), and Staten Island (St. George, Tottenville, Great Kills, and more). 143 neighborhoods across the five boroughs and 1,000+ pre-rendered building reports.

How do I check building violations before signing a lease?

Enter the building address on DwellCheck to instantly see HPD housing violations, DOB building complaints, 311 service requests, and bedbug history. Look for patterns of recurring issues, especially Class C (immediately hazardous) HPD violations that must be corrected within 24 hours. Compare violation counts to neighborhood averages. Also check for open violations that have not been corrected past their deadline.

How do I look up my NYC landlord?

Four free portals reveal who owns any NYC building: (1) ACRIS (a836-acris.nyc.gov) for the most recent deed, (2) HPD Online for the registered managing agent, (3) NY Department of State for the LLC owners, and (4) JustFix Who Owns What for the full portfolio. About 70% of NYC rentals are owned by LLCs, so the full lookup takes about 5 minutes end-to-end.

What is the cheapest month to rent an apartment in NYC?

December is typically the cheapest month to rent in NYC, with rental prices averaging 8-12% below peak summer rates. January and February are also strong savings months. Winter landlords offer concessions including 1-2 months free rent (worth $3,000-$6,000), reduced or waived broker fees, and lower base rents. A typical $3,000/month apartment signed in December vs. July can save $6,000-$9,000 in first-year costs.

What is the safest neighborhood in NYC?

Using NYPD crime complaint data per 300-meter walking radius, the lowest-crime NTAs in DwellCheck's baseline are Riverdale-Spuyten Duyvil (Bronx), Brooklyn Heights-Cobble Hill, Upper East Side-Carnegie Hill, Bay Ridge, and Park Slope-Gowanus. These neighborhoods record roughly 6-10 crimes per 300m vs. a citywide average of ~20. Safety varies block by block within any neighborhood — always check the specific address. See /research/2026-nyc-housing-report for the full ranking.

Is NYC 311 complaint data public?

Yes. All NYC 311 service requests are public and searchable through NYC Open Data (data.cityofnewyork.us) or the 311 portal (portal.311.nyc.gov). Anyone can look up complaints for any address without being a tenant or owner. 311 data includes noise complaints, rodent sightings, heat outages, illegal parking, sanitation issues, and dozens of other categories. Complaints are typically visible 12-24 hours after filing.

What is the NYC Alternative Enforcement Program (AEP)?

The Alternative Enforcement Program is HPD's watchlist of the 250 worst-maintained residential buildings in NYC, updated annually in February. Buildings with the highest combined counts of Class B and C violations per unit are selected. AEP buildings receive quarterly inspections and targeted code enforcement. Renting in an AEP building is almost always a mistake — check the current list at nyc.gov/hpd before signing any lease.

What is the 40x rent rule in NYC?

The 40x rent rule is the standard income requirement used by most NYC landlords: your annual gross income must be at least 40 times the monthly rent. For a $3,000/month apartment, you need to demonstrate $120,000 in annual income. If you don't meet this requirement, you'll typically need a guarantor earning 80x the monthly rent who resides in NY, NJ, or CT, or you can use a guarantor service like Insurent or TheGuarantors.

How do I compare two NYC neighborhoods?

DwellCheck publishes side-by-side comparison pages for the most-searched NYC neighborhood rivalries, including Williamsburg vs Park Slope, Upper East Side vs Upper West Side, Astoria vs Long Island City, Bushwick vs Bed-Stuy, and more. Each comparison shows composite scores, dimension-by-dimension breakdowns, key stats (median rent, transit, parks), and data-driven verdicts. Visit /compare to see all available comparisons.

Does DwellCheck work on mobile?

Yes, DwellCheck is fully mobile-optimized. All features work on iOS and Android browsers, including address search, livability scores, building violation lookup, and neighborhood guides. The mobile experience is identical to desktop with touch-friendly maps and responsive data visualizations.

DwellCheck - NYC Address Intelligence | Building Violations, Safety & Livability Scores

🏢Checking HPD bedbug registry...