In another area of enforcement from HPD, Local Law 65 of 2014 now authorizes HPD to impose inspection fees where violations are issued in the same dwelling unit multiple times over the course of a single twelve-month period. HPD began implementing the law on August 20, 2015. The parameters of the new law are described just below:

(1) If HPD has performed two or more complaint-based inspections in the same dwelling unit within a twelve-month period beginning on August 20, 2015, and

(2) each such inspection has resulted in the issuance of a hazardous (class B) or immediately hazardous (class C) violation, and

(3) the owner has not timely and properly certified all of the class B and class C violations in that dwelling unit as corrected, then,

(4) HPD will impose a $200 inspection fee for the third complaint-based inspection and for each subsequent complaint-based inspection that results in HPD issuing a class B or class C violation in that same dwelling unit within the same twelve-month period

All of these fees will be billed directly through the Department of Finance and may eventually become tax liens if not paid by the building owner / representative within the required period noted on the penalty.

The city is really cracking down on ensuring that all of the dwelling units within its scope are kept both safe and violation free. Those landlords and building owners that do not rectify the issues as they come up will be facing steep financial penalties for doing so.