NYC City Agencies
The government agencies whose data every serious renter should know.
- HPD— Housing Preservation and Development
- The NYC agency responsible for enforcing housing quality standards, issuing violations, and running affordable housing programs. HPD Online (hpdonline.nyc.gov) is the primary portal for looking up building violations, registrations, and bedbug disclosures. How to search HPD Online →
- DOB— Department of Buildings
- The NYC agency that issues construction permits, certificates of occupancy, elevator inspections, and building code violations. Use DOB BIS (a810-bisweb.nyc.gov) or DOB NOW (a810-dobnow.nyc.gov) to check active permits and structural issues. DOB search walkthrough →
- DHCR— Division of Housing and Community Renewal
- The New York State agency that administers rent stabilization. Free rent history requests are submitted at hcr.ny.gov; results show the apartment's registered legal rent for every year back to 1984. How to request rent history from DHCR →
- 311— NYC Service Request System
- NYC's non-emergency service request line and complaint system. 311 accepts complaints about noise, heat outages, rodents, illegal construction, and many other categories. All complaints are public record via NYC Open Data.
- NYPD— New York Police Department
- The NYC police force. NYPD publishes crime complaint data, arrest records, and shooting incident data through NYC Open Data. DwellCheck uses this data for walking-radius safety scoring.
- DOF— Department of Finance
- The NYC agency that manages property taxes, records deeds through ACRIS, and publishes PLUTO (tax lot) data. DOF data is the authoritative source for building ownership and assessment.
- DSNY— Department of Sanitation
- The NYC agency responsible for trash collection, snow removal, and street sweeping. DSNY enforcement affects neighborhood cleanliness and, indirectly, rat population density.
- MTA— Metropolitan Transportation Authority
- The state agency that runs NYC subways, buses, and commuter rail. MTA publishes subway entrance locations, bus stop data, and ridership statistics used in transit scoring.
Lookup Portals & Identifiers
The specific databases and record IDs you'll need to search for building information.
- ACRIS— Automated City Register Information System
- The DOF portal at a836-acris.nyc.gov that tracks every NYC property deed, mortgage, lien, and transfer back to 1966. ACRIS is the authoritative source for identifying who actually owns a building. How to search ACRIS for landlords →
- BBL— Borough-Block-Lot
- A 10-digit identifier for every tax lot in NYC, formatted as 1 digit (borough code) + 5 digits (block) + 4 digits (lot). Example: 1000990001 = Manhattan, Block 99, Lot 1. Many NYC databases prefer BBL to address for searches.
- BIN— Building Identification Number
- A 7-digit NYC Department of Buildings identifier for each individual building structure. Different from BBL because a single BBL can contain multiple BINs (e.g., a complex with multiple buildings on one lot). DOB searches prefer BIN.
- PLUTO— Primary Land Use Tax Lot Output
- NYC's comprehensive tax lot dataset combining zoning, land use, ownership, building age, and structural data for every lot in the city. PLUTO is published by the Department of City Planning and updated quarterly.
- HPD Online
- HPD's public portal at hpdonline.nyc.gov for looking up building violations, complaints, registrations, bedbug disclosures, and Alternative Enforcement Program status. Free, public, no account required.
- DOB NOW
- The modern Department of Buildings portal at a810-dobnow.nyc.gov for permit applications, violation lookups, and certificate of occupancy checks. DOB NOW is replacing the older BIS system.
- DOB BIS— Department of Buildings Information System
- The legacy DOB portal at a810-bisweb.nyc.gov. Still useful for historical data and some searches not yet migrated to DOB NOW. Search by address, BIN, or BBL.
- Bedbug Registry
- A tab within HPD Online that displays the annual bedbug reports landlords must file under NYC Local Law 69. Each building's history of bedbug infestations (and remediation efforts) is publicly visible.
Violations & Classifications
The categories of violations a building can accumulate, and what they mean.
- Class A violation
- HPD's lowest-severity violation category: non-hazardous issues like peeling non-lead paint, minor cracks, missing mailbox locks. Fix deadline: 90 days. Low priority for renter concern unless numerous.
- Class B violation
- HPD's mid-severity violation category: hazardous conditions including broken stoves, mouse or roach infestations, persistent leaks, inadequate lighting, missing smoke detectors, peeling paint (non-lead). Fix deadline: 30 days.
- Class C violation
- HPD's highest-severity violation category: immediately hazardous conditions including no heat in winter, lead paint with children under 6, gas leaks, inadequate fire egress, raw sewage, collapsed ceiling. Fix deadline: 24 hours. Multiple open Class C violations = major red flag.
- HMC— Housing Maintenance Code
- The NYC law that defines housing quality standards and triggers HPD violations. HMC 27-2029, for example, is the code cited when a building has inadequate heat during heating season.
- Vacate order
- A DOB order requiring tenants to leave a building due to unsafe conditions (structural failure, fire damage, illegal conversion). Check DOB BIS before any lease — any active vacate order, even partial, is a deal-breaker.
- AEP— Alternative Enforcement Program
- HPD's watchlist of the 250 worst-maintained residential buildings in NYC, updated annually in February. AEP buildings receive quarterly inspections and targeted enforcement. Never rent in an AEP building.
- Worst Landlords Watchlist
- An annual list published by the NYC Public Advocate's office ranking landlords by cumulative open HPD violations. A landlord on the Worst Landlords list is a hard no.
Rent Regulation
The laws and terms governing rent stabilization, rent control, and tenant protections.
- Rent stabilization
- The NYC program that limits annual rent increases on qualifying apartments and guarantees lease renewal rights. Applies to most buildings with 6+ units built before 1974. In 2023, 996,600 NYC apartments were rent stabilized, 41% of rental units (2023 NYC Housing and Vacancy Survey (NYC HPD and U.S. Census Bureau, initial findings released February 2024)). Is my apartment rent stabilized? →
- Rent control
- A separate, older program from rent stabilization, generally in pre-war buildings where the tenant has lived continuously since before July 1, 1971, or a family member who succeeded them. The city had 24,020 rent-controlled units in 2023, including those held by successors (2023 NYC Housing and Vacancy Survey (NYC HPD and U.S. Census Bureau, initial findings released February 2024)).
- RGB— Rent Guidelines Board
- The NYC board that sets annual maximum rent increases for rent-stabilized apartments, effective October 1 each year. The current limits are 3% for 1-year leases and 4.5% for 2-year leases beginning October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026 (RGB Order #57); 0% for 1-year leases and 0% for 2-year leases beginning October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027 (RGB Order #58).
- Legal rent
- The maximum rent legally allowed on a rent-stabilized apartment, as registered with DHCR. Landlords cannot charge more than the legal rent under any circumstances.
- Preferential rent
- A rent lower than the legal rent that a landlord agreed to charge. Since the 2019 HSTPA, preferential rent is locked in for your entire tenancy — landlords can only apply RGB increases to the preferential rent, not jump to the legal rent.
- HSTPA— Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act (2019)
- A 2019 New York State law that significantly strengthened rent stabilization. Eliminated vacancy decontrol, capped MCI and IAI increases, and locked in preferential rents. The most important tenant protection law in decades.
- MCI— Major Capital Improvement
- A rent increase allowed when a landlord makes significant capital improvements to a rent-stabilized building (new boiler, new roof, etc.). The 2019 HSTPA capped MCI increases at 2% per year and limited them to 30 years instead of permanent.
- IAI— Individual Apartment Improvement
- A rent increase allowed when a landlord makes improvements to a specific rent-stabilized apartment. The 2019 HSTPA capped IAI passthrough at $15,000 over 15 years.
- J-51
- A NYC tax abatement program that rewards landlords for renovating qualifying buildings. Buildings receiving J-51 benefits must register qualifying units as rent stabilized for the duration of the abatement. Some post-1974 buildings are rent stabilized via J-51.
- 421-a
- A NYC property tax abatement program for new residential construction. Like J-51, buildings receiving 421-a benefits must include a portion of rent-stabilized units. Many new luxury buildings are partially stabilized because of 421-a.
- Warranty of habitability
- The NYC law requiring landlords to maintain apartments in livable condition (heat, water, structural integrity, pest-free). Violation of the warranty allows tenants to withhold rent, break leases, or sue for damages.
- Retaliation (landlord)
- Any adverse action a landlord takes against a tenant in response to the tenant filing complaints, reporting violations, or exercising legal rights. NYC Real Property Law 223-b prohibits retaliation within 12 months of a tenant complaint.
Application & Signing
Terms that appear on NYC lease applications and that affect your ability to rent.
- 40x rent rule
- The standard NYC income requirement: your annual gross income must be at least 40 times the monthly rent. For a $3,000/month apartment, you need $120,000 in annual income. If you don't qualify, you'll need a guarantor or a guarantor service. Moving to NYC: 40x rule explained →
- Guarantor
- A co-signer who assumes legal responsibility for your lease if you default. NYC landlords typically require guarantors to earn 80x the monthly rent and live in NY, NJ, or CT. Commercial guarantor services like Insurent and TheGuarantors fill this gap for a fee.
- Broker fee
- A fee paid to a real estate broker. Since June 11, 2025, NYC's FARE Act bars a landlord's broker, including the listing agent, from charging tenants a fee. You pay a broker only if you hire your own to search for you; that fee isn't set by law, so agree on it in writing.
- FARE Act— Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses Act
- NYC Local Law 119 of 2024, passed by the City Council on November 13, 2024 and in effect since June 11, 2025. A landlord's agent, including the listing agent, can't charge a tenant a fee; no one can require a tenant to hire a broker; and every fee a tenant must pay has to be disclosed in the listing and in an itemized disclosure the tenant signs before the lease (NYC Council file Int 0360-2024; NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection FARE Act FAQ, updated June 2, 2026).
- Security deposit
- Money held by the landlord to cover damages or unpaid rent. Capped at one month's rent by the 2019 HSTPA. Must be returned within 14 days of move-out, with itemized deductions.
- Application fee
- New York landlords can't charge a fee to process a rental application. They may charge only for a background check and credit check, up to the actual cost or $20, whichever is less, and must waive it if you bring a check done in the past 30 days (Real Property Law § 238-a, as amended by the 2019 HSTPA).
- Credit score requirement
- Most NYC landlords require a 650-700+ credit score. Scores below 650 may require a guarantor or alternative documentation. A landlord can't ask for extra months upfront instead: New York caps any deposit or advance at one month's rent (General Obligations Law § 7-108).
- Riders
- Addenda attached to an NYC lease disclosing specific information — rent stabilization status, bedbug history, lead paint disclosures, window guard rules. Always read the riders as carefully as the main lease.
Building Types & Features
Architectural and legal classifications you'll see in NYC apartment listings.
- Pre-war
- A building constructed before World War II (roughly 1900-1939). Characterized by thick masonry walls, high ceilings, ornamental moldings, and often no elevator. Known for better sound insulation and thermal mass.
- Post-war
- A building constructed after World War II (1945-present). Typically features drywall, lower ceilings, modern elevators, and standardized layouts. More amenities but often worse acoustic isolation than pre-war.
- Brownstone
- A row house clad in brown sandstone, built primarily 1840-1900. Iconic to Brooklyn (Park Slope, Bed-Stuy) and Harlem. Brownstone refers to the facade material; not all row houses are brownstones.
- Walk-up
- A multi-family building without an elevator, typically 4-6 stories tall. Most pre-1929 NYC tenement buildings are walk-ups. Cheaper rent but harder physically.
- HDFC— Housing Development Fund Corporation
- A type of income-restricted NYC cooperative. Buyers must meet income limits and typically agree to resale restrictions. Common in formerly distressed neighborhoods where the city seized buildings for non-payment and converted them.
- NORC— Naturally Occurring Retirement Community
- A NYC building or neighborhood where residents have aged in place, creating a de facto senior community. NORC buildings often qualify for additional services and may have quieter tenant demographics.
- SRO— Single Room Occupancy
- A building or unit where residents rent individual rooms and share bathrooms and kitchens. Most NYC SROs are legal residences but have different tenant protection rules than standard apartments.
- C of O— Certificate of Occupancy
- A DOB-issued document certifying that a building complies with zoning and is legally usable for its intended purpose. Apartments without a valid C of O may be illegal conversions — check DOB before renting.