How to Find Who Owns an LLC Building in NYC

To find the people behind an LLC that owns a New York City building, start with the building's HPD registration, which for a corporate owner can list a head officer, officers and a managing agent by name. Then check the deed and mortgage documents in ACRIS, the LLC's filings with the New York Department of State, and the owner names on DOB permits and DOF tax records; no single public source names an LLC's members, but together they usually point to who controls it.

Why the owner is "123 Main Street LLC"

Many NYC buildings are owned by a limited liability company, often one set up to hold a single property. The owner name on Roofy comes from City Planning's PLUTO file, which takes it from the Department of Finance tax record, so you will usually see the LLC, not a person. That is legal and common. It does not, by itself, mean anything is wrong; but if you need to reach the real decision-makers about repairs, organize a tenant association, or check a landlord's track record, here is how to trace it.

The five records, in order

1. HPD property registration

HPD requires owners to register every year if the property is a multiple dwelling (three or more apartments) or a one- or two-family house where neither the owner nor their immediate family lives. The deadline is September 1, and owners must file again whenever ownership or the listed information changes, such as a new managing agent.

HPD publishes the people listed on each registration as open data (Registration Contacts). Contact types include corporate owner, individual owner, head officer, officer, shareholder, managing agent and site manager, each with a name and business address. For an LLC building, the head officer is often the most useful name. Search the address on HPD Online or find the registration number on the Roofy building page; our guide to reading an HPD registration record explains each field.

2. ACRIS deeds and mortgages

The Department of Finance's ACRIS system holds recorded property documents and images for Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens from 1966 on. Look up the building by address or BBL (see BBL and BIN explained), then open:

• The most recent deed. The grantee is the current LLC. The parties section lists names and addresses; a business address that matches other buildings is a lead. See ACRIS deeds.
• Mortgages and agreements. When an LLC borrows, the documents are signed by a person on its behalf. The signature page and the notary acknowledgment often show that person's name and title (for example, managing member). See ACRIS mortgages and liens.
• Older deeds. If the LLC bought from a related company, the chain of deeds can reveal the group behind it.

ACRIS party names and addresses are also published as open data (ACRIS Real Property Parties), which lets you search for every document a given LLC or address appears on. Staten Island documents are not in ACRIS: the Department of Finance says they are recorded with the Richmond County Clerk, so search there.

3. NYS Department of State

Search the exact LLC name in the Department of State's Corporation and Business Entity Database. The record confirms the entity exists, when it was formed and what it has filed. New York and out-of-state LLCs authorized here must file a biennial statement with the Department of State every two years. Electronic copies of filed documents, such as Articles of Organization, are available for entities formed or authorized on or after July 30, 1990; copies requested in writing cost $5 plain or $10 certified.

Set expectations: LLC filings often don't list members. The person who signed the Articles may be a lawyer or filing service, and the address may be an agent's. Still, an address or signer that repeats across many LLCs can connect a portfolio.

4. DOB permits and job filings

When an owner files construction work with the Department of Buildings, the filing names the owner. DOB's permit dataset includes the owner's business name, first and last name and address, and DOB NOW job filings carry the owner's business name and name too. Those names come from the filing itself, so they sometimes identify a person at the LLC or its management company. See how to read DOB permits.

5. DOF tax and assessment records

The Department of Finance tax roll shows the owner of record, which is where Roofy's owner name comes from. It usually just repeats the LLC. It is still worth checking for one reason: if it disagrees with the latest deed in ACRIS, the building may have changed hands recently or there may be a problem with the records. Owners worried about deed fraud can read deed theft protection.

Your record-by-record checklist

Work through these in order and tick them off. Your progress is saved in this browser.

Putting it together

The strongest evidence is a name that repeats across independent records: the HPD head officer who also signed the mortgage, or a business address shared by the HPD registration, the deed and DOB filings. Once you have a management company or a person, search the owner name on Roofy to see their other buildings and compare violation records across the portfolio. The speculation watch list and worst buildings list can add context.

Using what you find

• Send repair requests to the managing agent and the head officer listed with HPD, in writing, and keep copies.
• If you are organizing, see tenant association rights.
• If you suspect harassment, see tenant harassment in NYC.
• Use these records for legitimate purposes only. They are public so tenants and the City can hold owners accountable, not to harass anyone.