hanging light fixtures

Electrician and a permit are always required. A minimal amount of work may satisfy the requirements of a minor work permit, which does not require a DOB inspection.

https://www1.nyc.gov/site/buildingstwo/property-or-business-owner/project-requirements-owner-electrical.page

Your super or contractor can easily connect two/three wires of the fixture to the existing electric box.

Regardless of what DOB says.

I may or may not have done this. Flip the breakers off before you do it, and make sure you have another person on hand in case you drop whatever you're holding -- but it's not technically difficult.

After all of this you're hanging $75 Home Depot light fixtures? Is this temporary?

I think the ease of this operation is dependent on whether there are already junction boxes in the ceiling. Installing new ones and wiring them is actual electrical work that should be definitely be performed by an electrician.

Give the fixtures to your contractor with the instruction to install them. I will assume your contract with him states that his staff / subs will have the appropriate licenses/certifications/whatever for the tasks they are to perform. At that point, you have plausible transfer of responsibility / liability in case disaster ensues.

@30 that was just my reasoning that this might be a DIY-able project. I am for now keeping existing fixtures, but considering changing some of the home depot fixtures to fancier ones. Was wondering if this needs to be done by my contractor now, or if I could DIY later. Looks like the former is a much better bet.

That sounds like the wise choice.