NYC HPD Complaint Lookup

HPD stands for the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development. It's the largest municipal housing agency in the country, responsible for enforcing the NYC Housing Maintenance Code (HMC) across ~1 million rental units. HPD issues violations to landlords when buildings fail inspection, and those violations are public record searchable at hpdonline.nyc.gov.

Yes. HPD Online (hpdonline.nyc.gov) is a free public service from NYC. No account, no payment, no rate limits. The city maintains it as part of open-data transparency policy under Local Law 28 of 2018. Third-party aggregators sometimes charge for HPD data — you never need to pay them for what the city publishes for free.

Class A violations are non-hazardous — peeling non-lead paint, missing mailbox locks, minor cracks. Correction deadline: 90 days. Class B are hazardous — broken stoves, inadequate lighting, leaks, mice, rats. Deadline: 30 days. Class C are immediately hazardous — no heat in winter, lead paint with a child under 6, gas leaks, inadequate fire egress, broken smoke detectors. Deadline: 24 hours. A building with multiple open Class C violations is often enrolled in the Alternative Enforcement Program, HPD's watchlist of the 250 worst-maintained buildings.

Each violation line includes: the class (A/B/C), violation code (e.g., HMC 27-2029 means no heat), plain-English description, date issued, certification deadline, and current status (Open, Closed, Dismissed, or Not Complied). The fields that matter most: status = Open means the problem persists, certification deadline in the past means the landlord missed it, and recurring violation codes year over year mean a chronic issue the landlord keeps re-papering over rather than fixing.

HPD violation records go back to the late 1980s for many buildings, with complete electronic data from around 2000. Older paper records exist in HPD archives and can be requested via FOIL (Freedom of Information Law). For most due-diligence use, the past 5 years of electronic violations gives a clear picture — patterns emerge in that window.

No. It is illegal under NYC Human Rights Law and the NYS Multiple Dwelling Law for a landlord to retaliate against prospective or current tenants for researching building violations, filing HPD complaints, or organizing with neighbors. Retaliation includes refusing to rent, not renewing a lease, raising rent beyond standard increases, or reducing services. If you suspect retaliation, contact HPD's anti-harassment unit or Met Council on Housing at (212) 979-0611 — both are free.

AEP is HPD's list of the 250 worst-maintained residential buildings in NYC, updated annually in February. Selection criteria: highest combined count of Class B and C violations per unit over the prior 12 months. AEP buildings get quarterly HPD inspections, targeted code enforcement, and fee assessments against the owner. Renters should avoid any building currently on the AEP list — search the current list at nyc.gov/hpd or use DwellCheck to flag AEP status automatically.

Context matters — a 100-unit pre-war building naturally has more violations than a 6-unit townhouse. Rough heuristics: under 1 open violation per unit is typical; 2-5 open per unit signals an inattentive landlord; over 10 open per unit usually means a non-responsive owner or an AEP listing. More important than raw count: how long violations stay open. A building closing violations in 30-60 days is actively managed; violations open for 6+ months indicate neglect.

You have three paths: (1) file a new HPD complaint via 311 or the HPD portal to put the issue on record — inspectors typically respond within 1-7 days for emergencies, (2) withhold rent into escrow under NYC's warranty of habitability (must follow specific legal procedures; consult Met Council first), or (3) file an HP Action in Housing Court to compel repairs — you can do this without a lawyer. If conditions are severe enough, you may have grounds to break the lease with no penalty.

Not directly. HPD Online shows HPD-specific violations (issued by HPD inspectors) but not 311 service requests (filed by residents). For the 311 complaint history of an address, use NYC Open Data at data.cityofnewyork.us — search the 311 Service Requests dataset and filter by address. 311 complaints are an earlier signal than HPD violations: tenants file 311 first; if HPD inspects and finds a code violation, it then becomes an HPD record.

HPD Online shows HPD violations. It does not show DOB permits, 311 complaints, ACRIS ownership, bedbug reports, or environmental data. DwellCheck aggregates all seven public sources into one address search, classifies violations by severity, flags AEP status automatically, surfaces ownership chains through LLC filings, and presents a single composite score. HPD Online is the canonical data source — DwellCheck is the shortcut for renters who don't want to learn four separate city portals.

Yes. Both HPD complaints and 311 complaints accept anonymous filings. The building address and unit (for interior problems) is required, but you do not need to give your name. Anonymous complaints are investigated the same way as named ones. However, if the problem is inside your unit specifically, an inspector needs apartment access — anonymity is harder in that case. Common-area issues (lobby mold, hallway lighting, exterior cracks) can be fully anonymized because inspection happens from public spaces.