There’s a lot to consider when choosing an NYC apartment to rent, from the unit itself to the building it’s located in. You probably also want to know if there have been any complaints against the building’s landlord or management company. For instance, has the building dealt with bed bugs, trash removal issues, broken windows, or lack of heat and hot water? Luckily, there’s a simple way to get this information — including historical violations — so you know more than what the listing will likely tell you.

Here’s how to check a landlord for past building complaints using publicly available resources, from review sites to official NYC sources.

Manhattan Rentals Under $3,500 on StreetEasy Article continues below

Manhattan Valley

2790 Broadway

$2,650 base rent

Studio |

1

Hell’s Kitchen

531 West 48th Street

$2,825 base rent

1 |

1

East Village

518 East 6th Street

$3,350 base rent

1 |

1

West Village

23 Leroy Street

$2,995 base rent

Studio |

1

Lenox Hill

237 East 59th Street

$3,000 base rent

Studio |

1

Chelsea

261 West 29th Street

$2,895 base rent

1 |

1

Kips Bay

300 East 33rd Street

$3,450 base rent

Studio |

1

Roosevelt Island

546 Main Street

$3,236 base rent

1 |

1

Roosevelt Island

546 Main Street

$2,475 base rent

Studio |

1

Lenox Hill

228 East 75th Street

$2,650 base rent

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1

Hell’s Kitchen

457 West 46th Street

$3,000 base rent

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1

Lower East Side

86 Clinton Street

$3,050 base rent

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1

Find NYC building complaints on review sites

We all know New Yorkers aren’t afraid to share their opinions on everything from restaurants to doctors to dog parks. Thankfully, this impulse extends to publicly sharing their experiences with NYC rental buildings. Tenants often leave reviews of buildings and management companies on sites like Google Reviews and Yelp. Search your prospective building’s address or name on these sites and see what you find. It’s a good idea to sort the reviews by most recent, as many sites don’t automatically display them this way. Other review sites specifically for buildings and landlords exist — do a quick Google search to see what’s out there. If all else fails, you can always try good old trusty Reddit.

Research NYC landlord complaints with the Department of Buildings

Aside from Googling for reviews, there are official NYC sources containing building complaints. The best place to start is by searching the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) information system. Finding your building is easy:

• Go to the Building Information Search portal
• In line 1, select your borough from the dropdown menu
• Enter the building number in the “House No” field
• Enter the street in the “Street” field
• Click “Go”

The results will show you all complaints and violations filed with the DOB. If the “Open” column says 0, the complaints or violations have been resolved. Otherwise, the number indicates how many have not yet been taken care of.

Brooklyn Rentals Under 3,000 on StreetEasy Article continues below

Wingate

446 Kingston Avenue

$2,200 base rent

Studio |

1

Bedford-Stuyvesant

460 Throop Avenue

$2,975 base rent

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1

Fort Hamilton

138 Gatling Place

$2,400 base rent

2 |

1

Flatbush

1357 Flatbush Avenue

$2,999 base rent

1 |

1

Flatbush

1357 Flatbush Avenue

$2,025 base rent

Studio |

1

Stuyvesant Heights

208 Lewis Avenue

$2,850 base rent

1 |

1

Gravesend

2230 Cropsey Avenue

$2,760 base rent

1 |

1

Gravesend

2230 Cropsey Avenue

$2,443 base rent

Studio |

1

Crown Heights

127 Kingston Avenue

$2,700 base rent

1 |

1

Bushwick

147 Jefferson Street

$2,800 base rent

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1

Ocean Hill

2116 Fulton Street

$2,400 base rent

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1

Bensonhurst

1675 85th Street

$2,950 base rent

2 |

1

“Typically, when a person files a complaint against a landlord, they will call 311, and that will lead to an inspection of the building,” Shaun Pappas, partner at Starr Associates LLP, tells StreetEasy. “At the inspection, the DOB may issue a violation, and that is recorded on their system and website. It could be an elevator violation, for instance. Then the owner will need to clear the violation by addressing it.”

Keep in mind that most buildings have complaints or violations issued from time to time, and it doesn’t mean the landlord is actively doing something wrong. The type and frequency of the violations, however, can help shed light on potential issues.

Consider the dates of the complaints — are they recent or from many years ago? “A one-time issue can be overlooked. However, if the issues are plentiful and ongoing, there is a cause for concern,” says licensed real estate salesperson Karen Kostiw of Coldwell Banker Warburg.

Check the Department of Housing Preservation and Development

Another city government source for researching NYC building complaints is the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). Like the DOB, any official violation or complaint (made via 311) that has been documented is public record through the HPD website. It only includes complaints from the last year, but is another resource that documents many different types of complaints, from mold to vermin.

Queens Rentals Under $2,500 on StreetEasy Article continues below

Ridgewood

1941 Gates Avenue

$2,450 base rent

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1

Astoria

32-61 43rd Street

$2,300 base rent

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1

Astoria

14-55 Broadway

$2,150 base rent

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1

Woodside

63-11 Queens Boulevard

$2,200 base rent

Studio |

1

Forest Hills

75-09 Austin Street

$2,295 base rent

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1

Jackson Heights

33-08 84th Street

$1,775 base rent

Studio |

1

Ridgewood

714 Seneca Avenue

$2,100 base rent

Studio |

1

Flushing

33-38 Parsons Boulevard

$2,300 base rent

1 |

1

Forest Hills

75-20 113rd Street

$2,150 base rent

Studio |

1

Briarwood

84-18 143rd Street

$2,150 base rent

1 |

1

Jamaica Hills

164-20 Highland Avenue

$2,375 base rent

1 |

1

Murray Hill (Queens)

144-87 41st Avenue

$1,950 base rent

1 |

1

NYC’s Worst Landlord Watchlist

Yes, you read that correctly — the Office of the NYC Public Advocate maintains a watchlist of the “100 Worst Landlords In NYC.”

The list is objective: it’s based on how many buildings and units a landlord has on the watchlist by numbers of DOB violations, unresolved HPD violations, and recent evictions and tax liens. You can search by landlord or building, and there’s also an interactive map.

Increased protections for renters

Though the city’s agencies are there to help field and file NYC building complaints for tenants to access, they’re also continuously working to improve living conditions for renters in general. 

For example, in 2017, the city announced Right-to-Counsel (or Universal Access). So, if you vetted your apartment building but still find yourself facing eviction, an illegal lockout, or serious repairs that your landlord won’t make, you have access to free legal services. For more information, call 311 and ask for the Tenant Helpline, or contact any of the other resources listed on the website.

This follows the passing of more robust renter protection laws in 2019. If you’re a current or prospective renter in NYC, visit our resource hub to understand your rights as you search for an apartment (and after you move in), including laws regarding broker fees and where to get help with a landlord dispute.