Renting in NYC: The Ultimate Guide

NYC Building Complaints: How To Check a Landlord

By Jordi Lippe-McGraw December 1, 2021

There’s a lot to consider when choosing an apartment to rent, from size and location to the amenities offered. You probably also want to know if there have been any NYC building complaints against the prospective landlord or management company. For example, has the building dealt with bed bugs, trash removal problems, broken windows, or heat and hot water complaints? Luckily, there is a simple way to get this information, including historical violations, so you know if an apartment has had any issues.

Table of Contents

Fort George

89 Fairview Avenue

$1,950 base rent

1 |

1

Lenox Hill

1315 Third Avenue

$2,850 base rent

1 |

1

Central Harlem

58 East 130th Street

$2,699 base rent

2 |

1

Hamilton Heights

628 West 138th Street

$2,850 base rent

Studio |

1

Morningside Heights

515 West 122nd Street

$2,850 base rent

Studio |

1

Sutton Place

239 East 58th Street

$2,950 base rent

1 |

1

Lenox Hill

415 East 73rd Street

$2,800 base rent

Studio |

1

Chelsea

137 West 28th Street

$2,550 base rent

Studio |

1

Yorkville

313 East 93rd Street

$2,900 base rent

Studio |

1

South Harlem

230 West 116th Street

$2,900 base rent

Studio |

1

Central Harlem

58 East 130th Street

$2,700 base rent

2 |

1

Lincoln Square

235 West 63rd Street

$2,995 base rent

1 |

1

Research NYC Building Complaints on Reviews Sites

We all know New Yorkers aren’t afraid to share their opinions on review sites about restaurants, doctors, and more. Thankfully, this impulse extends to publicly sharing thoughts on NYC buildings. Likewise, tenants often leave reviews of buildings and management companies on Google Reviews and even Yelp. There are also additional online reviews sites for landlords. You can do a quick Google search to see what’s available.

Ditmas Park

662 East 21st Street

$1,670 base rent

Studio |

1

Borough Park

1744 64th Street

$2,500 base rent

2 |

1

Flatbush

330 Lennox Road

$2,500 base rent

1 |

1

Crown Heights

1280 Pacific Street

$2,599 base rent

1 |

1

East Flatbush

824 East New York Avenue

$2,525 base rent

1 |

1

Ditmas Park

2011 Newkirk Avenue

$2,000 base rent

1 |

1

Sunset Park

439 37th Street

$2,495 base rent

1 |

1

Canarsie

9209 Sea View Avenue

$2,500 base rent

1 |

1

Bedford-Stuyvesant

491 Tompkins Avenue

$3,000 base rent

1 |

1

Bushwick

527 Knickerbocker Avenue

$2,900 base rent

1 |

1

Greenpoint

97 Clay Street

$2,700 base rent

1 |

1

Canarsie

381 De Witt Avenue

$2,750 base rent

2 |

2

Research NYC Landlord Complaints With the Department of Buildings

Aside from Googling reviews, the easiest way to find out the status of a building is to search the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) information system. Finding your building is easy:

Select your borough from the dropdown menu
Enter the building number in the “House number” field
Enter the street in the “Street” field
Press “Go”

You can also search by block and lot, as well as Building Identification Number (BIN). The results will show you the complaints filed with DOB and all violations and share if the complaints were resolved.

“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 law firm, told StreetEasy. “At the inspection, 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 some form of violations issued from time to time, and that doesn’t mean the owner is actively doing something wrong. But the type and frequency of the violations can help shed light on potential issues.

Consider the dates of the complaints — are they recent or from a decade ago? “A one-time issue can be overlooked. However, if the issues are plentiful and ongoing, there is a cause of concern,” said Karen Kostiw, an agent for Warburg Realty.

Astoria

26-80 30th Street

$2,050 base rent

1 |

1

Astoria

30-66 45th Street

$2,500 base rent

1 |

1

Ditmars-Steinway

21-27 27th Street

$2,600 base rent

1 |

1

Astoria

26-36 Fourth Street

$2,500 base rent

1 |

1

Ditmars-Steinway

28-16 21st Avenue

$3,000 base rent

2 |

1

Jamaica

153-30 89th Avenue

$2,795 base rent

1 |

1

Elmhurst

40-19 72nd Street

$2,260 base rent

1 |

1

Forest Hills

65-35 Yellowstone Boulevard

$3,000 base rent

1 |

1

Forest Hills

66-37 Yellowstone Boulevard

$3,000 base rent

1 |

1

Woodside

39-11 62nd Street

$2,800 base rent

2 |

1

Astoria

18-27 25 Road

$2,100 base rent

1 |

1

Richmond Hill

127-02 95th Avenue

$3,000 base rent

2 |

1

Check Out the Department of Housing Preservation and Development

Another government agency you can use to research NYC building complaints is the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). Like DOB, any official violation or complaint (made via 311) that has been documented is now public record through the HPD website. The main difference is it only features complaints from the last year, but it is another resource that documents many different types of complaints, from mold to vermin.

Other NYC Landlord Complaint Resources

Besides code and law violations reported to DOB and HPD, other entities help you research NYC building complaints history.

Check the Landlord Watch List: The City Public Advocate has a list of the worst landlords in the city. You can search by building or landlord.
Review Rent Stabilization Complaints: New York State’s Division of Housing and Community Renewal lets you search for complaints regarding rent-stabilized rents and your apartment’s regulation history.
Contact the Management Company: You can try inquiring with the management company of a building about any issue that concerns you, such as pests, noise, and more. How much they will disclose is unclear.

Increased Protections for Renters

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

For example, in 2017, the city announced Universal Access to Counsel. So, by 2022 every tenant facing an eviction case will have access to free legal services. FYI, New York state lawmakers voted to extend an eviction moratorium until at least January 15, 2022.
This follows the passing of stronger rent protection laws in June of 2019. These include increased protections for tenants in rent-stabilized and rent-controlled apartments and increased protection against eviction for all NYC renters. Additionally, the amount landlords can charge for a background or credit check is $20, and security deposits (which now must be returned to tenants no more than 14 days after an apartment is vacated) are limited to one month’s rent.

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