After Closing: First Steps for New NYC Homeowners
Just closed on an NYC home? Confirm your deed on ACRIS, register for the STAR credit, get free deed alerts, fix your DOF billing and set up your water account.
6 min read · Updated
After you close on an NYC home, check that your deed (or, for a co-op loan, the UCC filing) shows up on ACRIS, register for the STAR credit with New York State, and sign up for the city's free alerts when anything is recorded against your property. Then make sure the Department of Finance and DEP have your name and address, and that someone (you or your lender) is set to pay property tax, water and insurance.
Nobody hands you this list at the closing table. Each step below links to the official place to do it, and the checklist at the end saves your progress.
At a glance
- Deed records
- ACRIS
- Staten Island: Richmond County Clerk
- STAR
- Register with NYS, not NYC
- New owners get the credit, not the exemption
- Deed alerts
- Free
- DOF Notice of Recorded Document
- Property tax bills
- Quarterly or twice a year
- Depends on assessed value
- Water bills
- Usually every 3 months
- From DEP, not DOF
- Co-op/condo abatement
- Board files by Feb 15
- You certify primary residence
The first two weeks
- 1
Confirm your deed or UCC is recorded
Your title company or attorney submits the deed for recording. In Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens, search ACRIS by address or borough-block-lot to confirm it appears with your name. Staten Island records are at the Richmond County Clerk. Co-op buyers get shares, not a deed; if you financed, the lender's UCC financing statement is filed through ACRIS against the building's block and lot. See how to find your deed on ACRIS. - 2
Sign up for deed-fraud alerts
DOF's Notice of Recorded Document program is free and e-mails or mails you, usually the day after, whenever a document is recorded against your property. Register online through the "Recorded Document Notification" link at nyc.gov/acris (by address or borough, block and lot), by mail, or through 311. DOF does not recommend it for individual co-op units, which share the building's block and lot. Read deed theft protection. - 3
Register for the STAR credit
STAR is run by New York State, not DOF. Register in the Homeowner Benefit Portal of your NYS Online Services account, or call (518) 457-2036, as soon as the home is your primary residence. New buyers can only get the STAR credit (a payment from the state), not the old exemption. Basic STAR has a $500,000 income limit; Enhanced STAR needs an owner 65 or older and income of $110,750 or less for 2026 benefits. Check with the STAR credit checker. - 4
Make DOF’s records match your deed
DOF says the names on your tax bills should match your deed. Change the mailing address or owner names through DOF’s online portal, or mail the Property Information Update form. Staten Island owners send a copy of the deed.
Bills: who pays what, and when
| Bill | Who sends it | Schedule | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property tax (house or condo) | NYC Department of Finance | Quarterly (Jul 1, Oct 1, Jan 1, Apr 1) if assessed value is $250,000 or less; otherwise Jul 1 and Jan 1 | If your lender escrows taxes, DOF sends the bill to the lender. If not, sign up for DOF payment notifications and pay it yourself. |
| Co-op property tax | Built into maintenance | Monthly | Your co-op pays the building’s tax bill; you pay maintenance to the co-op. |
| Water and sewer | NYC DEP | Every 3 months for most customers | Set up My DEP Account at nyc.gov/mydep with the account number and activation token on your bill. Most lenders no longer pay water bills for small properties. |
| Homeowners insurance | Your insurer | Yearly | If escrowed, your servicer pays it. Confirm the policy start date matches closing. |
The CFPB notes that with an escrow account, part of each mortgage payment goes toward taxes and insurance and the servicer pays those bills, so your payment changes when they change. It also warns that unpaid property taxes can bring penalties or a tax lien, and that a lender may buy force-placed insurance, usually more expensive, if your own policy lapses. See mortgage escrow accounts and how to read your NYC property tax bill. Estimate your water costs with the water bill estimator.
Co-op and condo owners: the abatement
If the unit is your primary residence and you own no more than three units in the development, you may get the co-op/condo property tax abatement. You don't apply yourself: the board or managing agent files for the whole building by February 15, and you certify your primary residence to them. DOF says you must buy on or before January 5 to qualify for the upcoming tax year; later buyers are added for the following year. Ask the managing agent for their residency form right after closing. Estimate your savings with the abatement estimator.
Safety and insurance
- Change or rekey the locks. You don't know how many keys the seller, contractors or past tenants still hold.
- Check your insurance. Confirm the policy is active and that the coverage type fits (a house, condo unit and co-op unit each use different policies). See homeowners insurance basics.
- Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and find the water shutoff and electric panel before you need them.
- File your closing documents (deed or stock certificate and proprietary lease, Closing Disclosure, title policy) where you can find them at tax time and when you sell.
Your after-closing checklist
Tick off each step. Progress is saved in this browser only.
New NYC homeowner to-do list
0/11Next, plan for the costs of ownership with the home maintenance budget calculator and the seasonal maintenance checklist. This page is general information; your closing attorney can confirm what was recorded and what is still pending.
ACRIS coverage (Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, 1966–present), Richmond County Clerk for Staten Island, co-op UCC financing statements filed through ACRIS with block and lot: DOF pages. Notice of Recorded Document: free by e-mail/mail, notice usually the day after recording, one registration per property, not recommended for individual co-op units: DOF FAQ. STAR: register with NYS DTF via Homeowner Benefit Portal as soon as the home is your primary residence, new owners get the credit only, $500,000 Basic credit limit, Enhanced 65+ with $110,750 (2026) / $113,550 (2027), phone (518) 457-2036 from DOF page. DOF billing: names should match the deed, online update or Property Information Update form, quarterly bills if AV ≤ $250,000 (Jul 1, Oct 1, Jan 1, Apr 1) else semiannual, bank receives the bill when paying taxes, payment notification sign-up. Co-op/condo abatement: board/agent files, Feb 15 deadline, buy by Jan 5 to qualify for upcoming tax year, max 3 units, primary residence. DEP: quarterly bills for most, My DEP Account at nyc.gov/mydep with account number and activation token, 718-595-7000, most mortgage companies no longer pay water bills for small properties (under five families). CFPB escrow page: servicer pays taxes/insurance, unpaid taxes can lead to penalties or a tax lien, force-placed insurance. Richmond County Clerk for Staten Island recording from DOF Recording Documents page. All facts re-opened 2026-10-12. HPD registration for 1–2 family homes not owner-occupied. Changing locks and insurance steps are general practice, not legal requirements.
Sources
- ACRIS · NYC Department of Finance (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Recording Documents · NYC Department of Finance (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) Financing Statements · NYC Department of Finance (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Notice of Recorded Document Program FAQ · NYC Department of Finance (accessed October 12, 2026)
- STAR · NYS Department of Taxation and Finance (accessed October 12, 2026)
- STAR eligibility · NYS Department of Taxation and Finance (accessed October 12, 2026)
- STAR (NYC) · NYC Department of Finance (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Update Property and Billing Information · NYC Department of Finance (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Property Tax Bills and Payments · NYC Department of Finance (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Cooperative and Condominium Tax Abatement · NYC Department of Finance (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Billing FAQs · NYC Department of Environmental Protection (accessed October 12, 2026)
- What is an escrow or impound account? · Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Register Your Property · NYC HPD (accessed October 12, 2026)
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change; confirm with the agency or a professional before you act.