New Interactive DOB Building Profiles Map
Earlier this month, the Department published the DOB Building Profiles map, an interactive tool that provides greater insight into how the agency regulates NYC's nearly 1.1 million buildings and more-than 45,000 active construction sites. The map provides a 12-month snapshot of building permits, complaints, inspections, violations, and accident reports for every property in the city.
The map shows the location of each of the 128,056 buildings in New York City that have had interactions with the Department in the past 12 months, with information on construction permits issued, complaints generated, inspections conducted, violations issued, and construction-related accidents to which DOB responded. This data is aggregated by building over a rolling 12-month period, providing real-time insight into recent trends in construction and building code enforcement.
Using this interactive 12-month map, you can find the location of:
- 55,473 properties where DOB issued construction permits;
- 3,254 construction sites that have been issued a DOB stop-work order;
- 12,766 buildings where DOB conducted inspections of reported illegal conversions;
- 703 reported construction accidents; and
- 679 buildings where DOB received complaints of construction-related tenant harassment.
This map is the latest in a series of interactive dashboards, reports, and data tools released by the Department to give the public access to information about the city's built environment. These analytics are available on the Data & Reporting page of DOB's website. See our press release to read more about the DOB Profiles Map and the Department's efforts to improve transparency by making our data accessible to the public.
No-Fee, No-Penalty Safety Inspections for Private Elevators
On March 1st, DOB announced that owners of private homes with both registered and unregistered elevators can request a DOB inspection of the device with no penalty for the next 90 days. During this three-month program, the Department will perform initial inspections and tests of any registered or unregistered private elevator free of charge.
The program was established in response to an incident in January, in which a woman became stuck in a private elevator on the Upper East Side for 72 hours without having any ability to communicate with the outside world. DOB's investigation determined that the elevator hoist motor had burned out and failed, causing the elevator to become stuck between two floors, and that the emergency phone inside of elevator car was not operable. Unregistered elevators, and ones that aren’t properly maintained, may pose a serious safety risk to passengers. Property owners with private elevator devices in their buildings are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity, not only for their own safety, but also for the safety of their friends and families.
Building owners who wish to receive a free, no penalty safety inspection should email the Department's Elevator Unit at PrivateResidenceElevator@buildings.nyc.gov or call the unit at 212-393-2555. This safety inspection does not exempt jurisdictional elevators from code-required category 1 and category 5 cycle inspections.
For unregistered elevators under this program, private residence owners will need to retain a registered design professional or licensed elevator inspection agency, and then file an application with DOB to obtain an NYC device ID and certificate of compliance. The Department will not issue any penalties or violations to the private residence owner if the application is filed within this 90-day grace period. If our inspectors determine that repairs are needed, the Department will give property owners guidance on the repairs needed, and give them sufficient time to make the corrective repairs.
Schedule and Credit Details Announced for Build Safe | Live Safe Conference 2019
As previously announced, the Build Safe | Live Safe Conference 2019 will take place Friday, May 10th from 10am-4pm. The conference is a daylong series of seminars, where Department experts discuss industry trends and highlight safe construction operations. This year, we are excited to announce that there will be a total of 5.0 LU/HSW credits provided, which is the largest number of credits we have offered yet.
The schedule for this year's conference includes nine classes. Each course qualifies as 1.25 credits:
- Construction Safety: Code Requirements & Implementation with a Focus on Case Studies
- Structural Condition Assessment as a Tool for Safe Construction
- Tenant Protection in Buildings Occupied During Construction
- Upcoming Basement Apartment Pilot Program in East New York
- Large Electrical Equipment Design Review, Submittal Requirements and Material Approvals
- Future Changes to the NYC Energy Code
- Elevators: Door Monitoring and Other Retroactive Requirements
- Façade Failures in High Rise Existing Buildings
- Cranes & Derricks: Codes & Regulations
The full schedule with course times is available on the conference Eventbrite page. A limited number of tickets are still available. Get yours today!
NOTICE: Administrative Enforcement Unit Closed April 19th
DOB's Administrative Enforcement Unit (AEU) will be closed to the public on Friday, April 19th for a staff training. AEU will reopen at 8:30am on Monday, April 22nd. Please see the Service Notice for more information.
Major Disciplinary Cases
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$75,000 in total penalties issued to 235 West 22nd St, LLC, the owner of 235 West 22nd Street, Manhattan, for safety and illegal transient use violations after inspectors observed a Class A apartment in the building that was being illegally rented out for short-term stays on Airbnb to out-of-town guests for $1,000 a day. Additionally, the building owner was also cited for failure to correct previously issued summonses.
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$4,000 in penalties issued to Clairidge House LLC, the owner of 201 East 87th Street, Manhattan, for a zoning violation due to the conditions of the building’s Privately Owned Public Space (POPS). The owners were found to have installed spikes on the seating areas of the POPS to prevent its use, and posted a plaque stating 'private property permission to cross revocable at will.'
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$25,000 in penalties issued to Registered General Contractor WTS Contracting Corp., for leaving an occupied home that was under construction, located at 4-19 Beach 138th Street, Queens, open and unprotected. They were also cited for improper work that exposed a damaged gas line, failure to provide tenants with proper egress, and failure to provide adequate shoring for the building. The unsafe conditions created by the General Contractor led to a vacate order being issued for the property.
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$20,000 in total penalties issued to Gilberto Espinoza and crane owner Feldman Lumber-USLMB LLC, for violations related to the improper operation of a crane on a construction site located at 691 St. Nicholas Avenue, Manhattan. The crane used was too small for the load it was lifting, causing the load to fall on the site's sidewalk shed.
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Registered General Contractor Freddy G. Vera was disciplined by the Department for failure to perform required duties at a construction site at 3113 Westchester Avenue, Bronx, which resulted in unsafe conditions and injury to a worker. The contractor voluntarily agreed to comply with a 30-day suspension of his general contractor registration followed by a three-year term of probation effective February 6, 2019, and also agreed to pay a $15,000 fine.
DOB publishes monthly bulletins detailing the agency's efforts to sanction and deter bad actors in the construction industry. You can find this information posted on the Enforcement Action Bulletin page of our website.
Additional Disciplinary Actions & Voluntary Surrenders
Industry Code of Conduct for Construction Professionals
Sign up for Weather Advisories
Service Updates
REQUIREMENT: Property Owners and Other Responsible Parties Must Report Construction Site Incidents
2014 Construction Code Updates
Update pages are printable inserts to keep your hard copy Construction Codes up to date.
All update pages for the 2014 NYC Construction Codes.
Hearings + Rules
Buildings Bulletins
2019-003: Serves as educational material to inform individuals of a building owner's obligation to make single-occupant toilet rooms available for persons of any sex.
Website Updates
Asbestos Rules and Regulations
Electrical Advisory Board Fees
Licensing
Department Approved Course Providers
Did You Know?
DOB is currently seeking candidates for paid internship opportunities. Current college students and recent college graduates can apply to gain real-world experience in professions including energy code development, engineering, legal, and data analytics. Click here for a list of open positions.
Thomas Fariello, R.A. Acting Commissioner
