How to file an HPD complaint through 311

To file an HPD complaint about a problem in your NYC rental, call 311 (TTY 212-504-4115), use 311 Online, or use the 311 mobile app, and save the Service Request number you get. HPD will contact the owner, call you back, and send a Code Enforcement inspector if the problem isn't fixed; if the inspector confirms it, the owner gets a violation with a deadline to repair.

This guide shows how to file each way, what happens after, and how to follow your complaint through to a violation and its certification.

Before you file: tell the owner

HPD and 311 both say to contact the owner, managing agent or super first, because it is often the quickest fix. Do it in writing (text or email) so you have a dated record. If they don't respond or the repair doesn't happen, file. You don't need your landlord's permission, and HPD complaints are a normal step, not a lawsuit.

What you can report

311 sorts HPD complaints into three types. Pick the one that matches where the problem is.

Building-structure problems like illegal construction or an unsafe facade usually go to the Department of Buildings instead. See DOB complaints explained.

How to file, three ways

1. 1

   Have your details ready

   Full address including borough, apartment number, a phone number where HPD can reach you, the problem, where it is, and when it started. For an in-apartment problem 311 requires your contact information.
2. 2

   Choose the right category

   Pick apartment, public area or entire building, then the condition (for example, heat and hot water, pests, leaks or paint). One complaint per condition is clearer than one long list.
3. 3

   Describe it plainly

   Say what, where and since when: “Bathroom ceiling leaking since Oct 3, plaster falling, landlord told by text Oct 4.” Mention a child under 6 if the issue is peeling paint, since that triggers lead paint rules.
4. 4

   Save the Service Request number

   Write it in your notes with the date and time. You will need it to track the complaint and in Housing Court.
5. 5

   Heat complaints and anonymity

   HPD lets you file heat complaints anonymously, but then the inspector picks an apartment at random. To get your own apartment checked, give your name and unit.

What happens after you file

1. Right away

   HPD contacts the owner

   HPD tries to reach the managing agent and warns that a violation may follow if the condition isn’t corrected.

2. Next

   HPD calls you back

   If you confirm the problem is fixed, HPD closes the complaint. Only say yes if it truly is.

3. If not fixed

   An inspector visits

   A uniformed Code Enforcement inspector is sent if the condition isn’t corrected or HPD can’t reach you. The owner isn’t told the date. If English is not your primary language, tell the inspector and they can call a translator.

4. At the inspection

   Violations are written

   The inspector checks the reported condition and may also check smoke and CO detectors, lead paint if a child under 6 lives there, window guards if a child under 11 lives there, locks that need a key to get out, self-closing entrance doors, mold, pests, and bars or gates on fire escape windows.

5. After

   The owner gets a Notice of Violation

   It states the violation class and the deadline to correct it.

Violation classes and repair deadlines

The class depends on the exact condition the inspector finds. For examples of each class, read HPD violation classes explained.

Certification: when the owner says it's fixed

Owners clear violations by certifying to HPD that they made the repair. When they do, you get a notice of certification in the mail. If the repair wasn't actually made, challenge the certification with HPD, following the instructions on the notice, and say the condition is still there. If a reinspection finds it uncorrected, the violation stays open. HPD notes that a certified violation that is not reinspected is closed after 70 days, so respond quickly. If the owner never certifies, the violation simply stays open on the building's record.

How to track your complaint

• 311 Online or the app: look up the Service Request number for its status and resolution notes.
• HPD Online: search your address for the complaint, any violations, the owner's registration and HPD litigation.
• Roofy: search your address on the building lookup. The building page lists HPD violations by class and HPD complaints from NYC Open Data, so you can see whether your problem is part of a pattern. Public datasets update on the city's schedule, so a brand-new complaint may not appear immediately. See how to read a building page.
• Emergency repairs: if HPD has started its own repair work in your apartment, call 212-863-5510 for status (status requests only).

If the owner still doesn't fix it

• File again each time the problem recurs. Repeated complaints and violations build the record.
• HPD emergency repairs: for Class C conditions an owner ignores, HPD's Emergency Repair Program may make the repair and bill the owner.
• Housing Court: you can start an HP action to get a court order for repairs; HPD notes you don't need a lawyer. Keep every text, photo and SR number.
• Rent: serious conditions may support a claim under the warranty of habitability.

Worried about retaliation? Read tenant harassment in NYC.