Some NYC buildings carry far more compliance risk than others — and the warning signs are visible in public data long before a vacate order or a lien sale. This guide explains the signals that mark a building as high-risk, and how RegWatch condenses them into a single score you can check for any address.
How Risk Scoring Works
RegWatch computes a compliance score (0-100) that combines the major public-record risk signals for a building:
- Open DOB violations — construction code violations from the Department of Buildings; the strongest safety and lender-concern signal
- Open HPD violations — housing code violations indicating habitability issues and housing court exposure
- Unpaid ECB penalties — outstanding Environmental Control Board fines, which can become judgment liens
- Local Law 97 exposure — projected carbon-emissions penalties for buildings over the LL97 limits
- Tax delinquency — open DOF charges that signal financial distress and lien-sale risk
- Recorded liens — existing liens and tax lien sale history on the property record
Recent violations weigh more than stale ones, so a building actively accumulating problems scores worse than one with an old, inactive record.
What High-Risk Looks Like
Buildings at the top of the scale typically have multiple open violations across agencies, outstanding ECB penalties, and sometimes tax arrears. These properties are more likely to face DOB vacate orders, HPD emergency repairs, or tax lien sales.
Which Building Types to Scrutinize
Older multifamily buildings (pre-1960, 6+ units) deserve the closest look — more units mean more opportunities for habitability violations, and older systems require more maintenance. Lead paint rules also apply specifically to pre-1960 residential buildings.
Mixed-use buildings with ground-floor commercial add another layer — commercial tenants generate different violation types (signage, occupancy, fire code) that compound with residential violations.
See the Live Data
Open-violation counts and risk patterns change daily. Browse live NYC violation data by type or the data insights dashboard for current rollups computed from the same database that powers every property report.
Check Your Building
Every property search on RegWatch includes a risk score and detailed breakdown. Search any NYC address to see where it stands — free with signup.