NYC violation lookup

What this lookup checks

The tool queries the City AddressPoint dataset to identify a Building Identification Number (BIN), then checks DOB violations, HPD Housing Maintenance Code violations, and DOB complaints from NYC Open Data.

DOB violations vs. ECB/OATH summonses

Two record types are constantly confused because one inspection often creates both:

• DOB violations are the Buildings Department's record that a condition or paperwork failure existed at the property. Most stay open until the condition is corrected and the required certificate of correction or dismissal paperwork is accepted.
• ECB (OATH) summonses are enforcement actions with hearings and monetary penalties, heard at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. Paying a penalty does not by itself correct the DOB record — and certifying a correction does not make a missed hearing go away.

When both exist, resolve both. Buyers' attorneys check both.

What NYC building complaints mean

A building complaint is an allegation — usually a 311 call about illegal work, work without a permit, after-hours noise, or an unsafe condition — that DOB triages by priority and may inspect. Reading a complaint record correctly:

• A complaint is not a violation. It documents that someone alleged something. If the inspector finds nothing citable, the complaint closes with no further record.
• Complaints are anonymous. The record will not tell you who called, and trying to find out is wasted effort.
• Patterns matter more than single entries. Repeated complaints of illegal conversion or work-without-permit on one address usually precede an inspector's visit — and are exactly what a diligent buyer notices in the history.
• Complaint status has its own vocabulary. An open complaint may simply be awaiting inspection; a closed complaint may have been resolved, unfounded, or referred to another agency. Open the official record for the disposition before drawing conclusions.

If a complaint on your building relates to work you are actually doing, tighten your paperwork now — permits posted, plans on site, hours respected. The inspection, if it comes, is far cheaper when everything is in order; if it produces a violation or a Stop Work Order, the resolution path is the same as described in those guides.

What a clean result does — and does not — mean

"No matching records" means these datasets returned no rows for this BIN. It does not clear the property: very recent records may not have propagated, other agencies keep separate records, and pre-digital history lives on paper. Treat a clean lookup as a good first signal that still needs official confirmation before money changes hands.

Found something? Where to go next

• HPD violation with a class letter — read HPD violations explained for deadlines and the certification process.
• DOB violation tied to permits or unpermitted work — see when a permit expediter helps and how Stop Work Orders get lifted.
• Buying or refinancing — pair the violation picture with the Certificate of Occupancy and the ownership record in ACRIS.