Get Building History

When searching for an apartment, the more information you have about a building and the persons responsible for its upkeep, the better equipped you will be to make a safe decision.

Using tools like the Building Information System (BIS) and the DOB NOW Public Portal, you can review the history of any building in New York City. You can find violations, permits and complaints that were reported. The building history also shows the current status of the information as active or resolved.

Using BIS

Through DOB’s Building Information System (BIS), you can search for general information on a property in the city including recorded complaints, violations, actions, applications, and inspections. Information searches about tradespeople licensed by DOB is also available in BIS.

From the BIS Menu section, select Building Information Search, under Search by Property select the borough from the drop-down menu, enter the address of the building and click Go. This will bring you to the Property Profile. You can view/check:

• Certificate of Occupancy – states the legal use of a building and/or type of permitted occupancy
• Violations – notices that a property is not in compliance with applicable laws
• Complaints – reports of illegal/unsafe construction work and improper building use

Using the DOB NOW Public Portal

The DOB NOW Public Portal contains information on applications submitted in DOB NOW, compliance filings for boilers, elevators and facades, and violations issued to property owners for failing to file annual boiler inspection reports and elevator inspection/test reports. See the DOB NOW Public Portal FAQs for more information.