Contact your landlord, managing agent, or superintendent first, then file a complaint with 311 to request a New York City building inspection. You can call 311, use TTY at (212) 504-4115, or file through 311ONLINE or 311MOBILE, and you will receive a Service Request number for tracking. HPD is the city housing agency that handles apartment maintenance problems. It covers conditions inside units, in public areas, and across whole buildings.
Table of Contents
- What should you do before you call?
- What problems bring an HPD inspector?
- What happens after you file?
- When does the Department of Buildings inspect instead?
- What limits should renters expect?
- What can an inspection lead to?
What should you do before you call?
Tell the landlord or super about the problem and give a chance to fix it. This first contact is the expected step before the city gets involved, according to NYC Housing Preservation and Development in its maintenance complaint guide.
If nothing changes, file with 311 and keep your Service Request number. Have your address, apartment number, contact information, and a clear description ready.
- Contact landlord, managing agent, or superintendent
- Call 311 or file online through 311ONLINE or 311MOBILE
- Save the Service Request number and track the complaint
What problems bring an HPD inspector?
HPD handles maintenance complaints such as mold, pests, leaks, peeling paint, broken doors or windows, electrical defects, and lack of heat or hot water. NYC 311 lists these as covered apartment conditions in its housing complaint article. Heat and hot water have fixed city standards.
Heat is required from October 1 through May 31: at least 68 degrees from 6 AM to 10 PM when outside falls below 55 degrees, and at least 62 degrees overnight, while hot water must stay at least 120 degrees year-round. HPD inspectors also check related safety items during a visit. That includes detectors, lead paint, window guards, locks, and fire-escape bars.
What happens after you file?
HPD first tries to contact the building's managing agent about possible violations. It then calls you back to ask whether the condition was corrected. If you confirm the fix, HPD closes the complaint without an inspection.
If the problem remains or HPD cannot reach you, the city sends a uniformed HPD Code Enforcement inspector. The owner is not told the inspection date. You will need to let the inspector inside, because apartment complaints cannot be verified from the hallway.
📨 Get Free Tenant Rights Guides Alerts
Free · No spam · Unsubscribe anytime
When does the Department of Buildings inspect instead?
Report active unsafe construction, work without a permit, or after-hours work to the Department of Buildings through 311. Call 911 instead for immediate dangers such as gas odors, falling debris, or accidents, according to NYC 311 in its construction complaint guide. Suspected illegal conversions also go to the Department of Buildings.
Examples include basement or attic apartments, subdivided single-room occupancies, and residential use of commercial or manufacturing space. Those reports can trigger an inspection and review by the Department of Buildings Quality of Life Unit. Give the exact address, access details, and what you observed.
What limits should renters expect?
Apartment complaints require your contact information so HPD can follow up. Without a callback number or access to the unit, the case may stall. Co-op or condo residents should first report to the owner or board.
This routes responsibility to the party that controls repairs before city enforcement begins. Inspectors need entry to verify conditions. If no one provides access, HPD cannot confirm a violation inside the home.
What can an inspection lead to?
Confirmed violations carry repair deadlines of 90 days for Class A, 30 days for Class B, and 14 to 21 days for Class C hazards. The class reflects how hazardous the condition is. If open violations remain, tenants may pursue an HP action in Housing Court.
That is a tenant-filed case asking the court to order repairs. Keep copies of your complaint number, photos, dates, and messages to the landlord. Those records help if the case moves from inspection to court.
You Might Also Like
- When Bad Conditions Force You Out in New Jersey
- When Bad Conditions Count as Constructive Eviction in NYC
- NYC Broker Fees: Who Pays Under the FARE Act?