Inspection? How Common? Is it necessary?

Daniel: We have a couple of discussion threads about inspections on se.
Search,(above in that little box) and click "go!".

Some buyers want an inspection before closing. It's important for a house but, as you'll read, some don't think you need it for an apt.

After that, inspections of the building (elevator, facade) are the responsibility of the co-op or condo managing agent. Not you. Those inspections are performed by a DOB inspector.

If you are in a co-op there may be inspections for :
pests/vermin (if that is a problem in your apt. or elsewhere in the building and it's infested and then exterminated.)
If you have kids under 6 years old, for window safety.
For proper a/c installation in windows.
For 80% floor covering rule, if they get complaints about you for floor noise.

Daniel: I can see you still have not checked the HPD and DOB online websites.
You can find info regarding violations for the things you are concerned about.
Check open violations. Check the complaint numbers to see if/how it was resolved.

and a good contractor can tell you if the walls and floors need special work. Most buyers in older buildings (and newer for that matter) hire a contractor to do reno work. When he sees your apt he will tell you if anything else looks like it needs repair.

Daniel, you need to chill out. I am guessing this is your first purchase. Just get the damn place and stop worrying. It will be fine. If you really want people's opinions post the place and people might know stuff about the building.

We had an inspection done because we were buying in a < 10 unit building and would face a large % of the responsibility for any common repairs.

If you do have an inspection done, thoroughly interview the inspector as to what he or she will and won't check. Many will no longer check appliances, will only spot check electrical outlets and windows, etc. If there's even the slightest bit of paint over the screws on the electrical panel, it's "nope, can't open it, sorry."

Our inspector had so many reasons why he couldn't check X or Y that it was wasted money. He was more interested in covering his own @ss than anything else. And please do NOT blindly trust recommendations on this board, even from otherwise reliable people, if you decide to have a home inspection. Do your own due diligence, prepare a list of questions for inspectors, and find one who will check everything you want them to check.

Here's my experience as a novice buyer. After deliberating, I went ahead and hired an inspector for a coop (someone recommended by colleagues). I'm glad I did! Even though no major problems were found, he found a bunch of repair items: most electrical outlets were wired wrong (floating ground, left and right wires switched places, etc.), there was minor leakage in kitchen pipes, and evidence of mouse/rat problems in the past. The seller has since repaired the first two problems, and the third seems to no longer pose a problem. The inspector also spoke to the building staff & looked at common areas to gauge how well the building is run -- he even went online and found complaints about unauthorized repairs by shareholders, etc. -- not deal breaking (since I'm not anticipating getting work done) but very good to know. It was worth every penny, IMO.

I agree with levliko. the worst that will happen is you will pay some money to learn everything that the apartment needs before you buy it.

Daniel can go online (HPD and DOB online) and find complaints about unauthorized work/renos being done without a permit.

They are called in by neighbors who are annoyed by noise/leaks/odors/problems assosciated with it. The super should have dealt with the complaint and investigated what is going on in the apt where the reno noise is taking place. Sometimes the super knows about the non-permit work and has been paid a kick-back by the shareholder to allow it to be done and to allow the contractor/materials to enter the building. So the super doesn't investigate. Don't ever do that Daniel, even if the super says "Don't worry about it." Because when you get caught, the super will deny knowing anything.

In some cases,the complaint is called in to the HPD or DOB by RS tenants who have interpersonal disputes with neighbors or are being treated without respect by the Sponsor. That's how they take their frustrations out and there is no real problem. It is a false report.If you see many violations continuously reported about one/ by one apt# that's usually a RS tenant. You will see something like: ""Observed no violation at time of inspection".
Unauthorized "repairs" is an issue for the board and managing agent.

The kick-back is the term for contractors/repair people who pay the super for giving them work, allowing them to do jobs without permits. That kind of thing.

In the case of tenants, they throw some money to the super to get him to go along with whatever it is they are doing without permits/permission from the Board. Like I said : Don't ever do that Daniel.

Thanks for the info, Truth. I checked the HPD website, no violations or complaints. I also checked the DoB website, although it's a little harder to make heads or tails out of. See my other thread, about the minutes, to see what I wrote regarding the DoB site.

Saw it. No violations on the HPD is good.
familiarize yourself with the DOB website. Click on the category columns on the left of the page.
It's easy once you get the hang of it.

I'm getting a little more familiar with it, but it's jargon is a bit cryptic to me. So far as I've seen, there hasn't been any monies listed as payments due.

It couldn't hurt - make sure you get a good recommendation and someone who is licensed.

A couple of years I found out from a friend that my electrical wasn't up to code, and some issues w my plumbing. I was surprised how many contrators & electricians were NOT licensed and therefore not up on the latest building codes (and also couldn't do work in my bldg as a result).

I ended up doing some rennovations that fixed these issues anyway...but still...