DOB Complaints: How to Read a Building's Record

A DOB complaint is a report to the NYC Department of Buildings about unsafe or illegal construction or improper use of a building, such as work without a permit or an illegal apartment. Each complaint on a building's record has a category code (what was reported) and a disposition code (what DOB did about it), and the disposition is what tells you whether the complaint turned out to be real.

Complaints are not violations. Anyone can file one through 311. This guide decodes the codes so you can tell a serious record from noise.

Where to find a building's DOB complaints

DOB says complaints, including those that come from 311, are kept in its Buildings Information System (BIS), not the newer DOB NOW Public Portal. In BIS, choose Building Information Search, pick the borough, enter the address and click Go. That opens the Property Profile, which links to the building's complaints, violations and certificate of occupancy.

Category codes: what was reported

DOB uses more than 150 category codes, many for construction sites. These are the ones that matter most when you're renting or buying in an existing building, with the exact descriptions from DOB's code list.

Disposition codes: what DOB did

The disposition is the result. Most fall into a few groups: violations served, no violation, could not get in, referred elsewhere, or an order such as stop work or vacate.

From complaint to violation

1. Day 0

   Complaint filed

   Someone calls 311 or DOB staff enter it. It gets a complaint number and a category code. Status shows as ACTIVE.

2. Next

   Assigned and inspected

   DOB may assign it to a specialist unit (codes starting with D or E, such as D3 elevator unit) and sends an inspector.

3. Inspection

   Disposition entered

   The inspector records a result code and an inspection date. No access means C1 to C4 and maybe a follow-up.

4. If confirmed

   Violations or orders

   DOB or OATH violations are issued with their own numbers, or a stop work or vacate order. These appear on the building’s violation record.

5. Later

   Complaint closed

   The complaint status becomes CLOSED. Any violation it led to has its own status and stays on the violation record until it is resolved.

So the complaint itself only proves someone reported something. A disposition of A1, A8 or A9 proves an inspector found it. To follow up, look up the violation in the building's DOB and OATH/ECB violation record. See DOB violations explained and ECB/OATH violations.

How to read a building's complaint history

• Look at dispositions, not counts. Ten complaints closed as I2 say less than two closed as A1.
• Watch for repeated illegal conversion complaints (45, 1A, 4G) with C1/C2 "no access" results. DOB even has a separate category (4G) for no-access follow-ups on illegal conversions. The pattern is a reason to ask whether the unit you're seeing is legal. Check the certificate of occupancy for how many legal units the building has.
• Construction complaints during a renovation (05, 7J, 6V, 83) matter if you'd be living through the work. Check active permits in DOB permits and job filings.
• Safety categories (37 egress, 30 structural, 84 façade, 56 boiler fumes) deserve a direct question to the owner even when closed.
• Referrals to HPD (F8) mean the issue was about living conditions. Look for the matching HPD complaint or violation.

Next steps

Search the address on Roofy's building lookup for HPD violations and building facts, then open BIS for DOB complaints. For citywide trends, see our report on DOB complaints about illegal apartments and no-permit work. If a complaint led to a vacate order, read vacate orders in NYC.