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 NOW: Start with DOB NOW, the DOB's primary system. Search by address, BIN, or block/lot and open the violations section.
- DOB BIS (legacy): Older violations live in the legacy Building Information System. BIS has been unreliable since early 2026, so treat it as a historical archive and start with DOB NOW.
- 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 the full property profile opens on its violation record — DOB, HPD, and ECB in one view, free with no account required.
For complete violation details including full history, severity classification, penalty amounts, and resolution tracking, start a free account for more 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.