You do not need to pay hundreds of dollars to research NYC property records. The city provides extensive free databases, and several tools aggregate them into easier interfaces. Here is every free resource available.
Free Government Databases
ACRIS — Deeds, Mortgages, and Recorded Documents
The Automated City Register Information System provides free access to all recorded documents in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. Search by address, party name, or document type. You can view scanned copies of deeds, mortgages, liens, and other recorded instruments at no cost.
Best for: Ownership history, deed details, mortgage information, recorded liens
DOB NOW — Permits, Violations, and Filings
The Department of Buildings' primary system for permit filings, violations, and inspection results. Search by address, BIN, or job number (see our guide on DOB NOW vs BIS).
Best for: Permit applications, new violations, inspection results, facade and elevator compliance
DOB BIS — Legacy Building Records
The legacy Building Information System holds historical building profiles, violations, permits, complaints, and older Certificates of Occupancy. BIS has been unreliable since early 2026 — start with DOB NOW and fall back to BIS for older records.
Best for: Historical violations and permits, older C of O records, building characteristics
HPD Online — Housing Violations
HPD's online portal shows housing code violations, registration information, and building details for residential properties.
Best for: Housing code violations, building registration, rent stabilization status
DOF Property Tax Portal
The Department of Finance website provides free access to property tax assessments, tax bills, payment history, and exemption information.
Best for: Tax assessments, market values, exemptions, payment status
ZoLa — Zoning and Land Use Map
The Department of City Planning's interactive zoning map. Search any property to see zoning districts, overlays, special districts, and land use information.
Best for: Zoning designations, FAR, land use, special districts
OATH/ECB — Environmental Control Board
Search ECB violations and fines from DOB, DEP, DSNY, FDNY, and other agencies.
Best for: ECB fines, hearing status, judgment liens
NYC Open Data
The city's open data portal provides bulk datasets for property records, violations, permits, sales, and more. Useful for bulk research and analysis rather than individual property lookups.
Best for: Bulk data analysis, market research, portfolio analysis
Free Aggregation Tools
RegWatch Free Tools
RegWatch offers several free tools that search multiple city databases simultaneously:
- Free Property Search — basic property information from multiple sources
- Free Violation Lookup — DOB, HPD, and ECB violations in one search
- Free Tax Calculator — property tax data and estimates
- Free Zoning Lookup — zoning designation and basic FAR data
- Free Title Search — current ownership information
- Free Lien Check — lien risk assessment
Each tool opens the full property profile straight from the search — free, no account required. To save buildings and get change alerts, start a free account.
The Limitation of Free Searches
Free databases are comprehensive but fragmented. Searching a single property across all relevant agencies takes 30-60 minutes. For occasional research, the manual approach works. For regular property research — attorneys, investors, property managers, or title professionals — the time cost adds up quickly.
That is why professionals use aggregation platforms. A single RegWatch search pulls data from 250+ sources in seconds, replacing hours of manual work. Sign up for a free account to evaluate whether the time savings justify the cost.