Building violations in New York City come from multiple agencies, each with its own database and website. Whether you are buying a property, managing a building, or just curious about a property in your neighborhood, here is how to check violations for free.
The Three Main Violation Sources
1. Department of Buildings (DOB)
The DOB issues violations for building code infractions: work without a permit, failure to maintain, illegal conversions, and construction defects. DOB violations are classified by severity:
- Class 1 (Immediately Hazardous): Requires immediate correction. Fines up to $25,000. Examples: structural instability, blocked fire exits, missing fire escapes.
- Class 2 (Major): Significant but not immediately life-threatening. Fines up to $10,000. Examples: illegal conversions, major unpermitted work.
- Class 3 (Lesser): Administrative or minor issues. Fines up to $2,500. Examples: missing signage, record-keeping failures.
2. Housing Preservation and Development (HPD)
HPD handles housing code violations in residential buildings. These cover habitability issues: heat and hot water, lead paint, pest infestation, mold, water damage, and structural conditions in apartments. HPD violations are classified A (non-hazardous), B (hazardous), or C (immediately hazardous).
3. Environmental Control Board (ECB)
The ECB adjudicates violations from multiple agencies including DOB, DEP, DSNY, and FDNY. ECB violations carry specific monetary fines and require a hearing or default payment. Unpaid ECB fines can become judgment liens against the property.
How to Check for Free: Manual Method
- DOB BIS: Visit the DOB Building Information Search website. Search by address, BIN, or block/lot. Navigate to the violations tab for DOB violations.
- DOB NOW: Some newer violations are only in the DOB NOW system. Check both BIS and NOW for a complete picture.
- HPD Online: Visit HPD Online and search by address for housing code violations.
- ECB: Search the OATH/ECB portal for environmental violations and fines.
This process takes 20-40 minutes per property and requires knowing which systems to check.
The Faster Way: RegWatch Free Violation Lookup
Our free violation lookup tool searches all three agencies simultaneously. Enter an address and get the total violation count, open violations, and most recent violation in seconds. You get 3 free lookups per day with no account required.
For complete violation details including full history, severity classification, penalty amounts, and resolution tracking, start a free account for unlimited property data.
What Violations Mean for Property Transactions
Open violations can affect real estate transactions in several ways:
- Closing delays: Buyers and lenders may require violation resolution before closing
- Title issues: ECB judgment liens appear on title searches
- Insurance: Class 1 violations may affect property insurance coverage
- Value: Extensive violation history suggests deferred maintenance
- Liability: New owners inherit responsibility for open violations
Monitoring for New Violations
If you own or manage property, checking for violations should not be a one-time event. New violations can be filed at any time. RegWatch offers automated monitoring that alerts you when new violations are filed against any property in your portfolio — so you can respond proactively instead of discovering issues during a transaction.