New HPD Rules Property Owners Need to Know in 2026

#4 in our HPD Violations series for NYC landlords, co-op boards, and small property owners

By Victoria Alexander, Realty Collective | Brooklyn, NY | Updated April 2026

In our earlier posts in this series (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3), we covered the basics of HPD violations — what they are, how they’re issued, how to clear them, and what co-op owners specifically need to watch for. Those fundamentals haven’t changed. But the enforcement landscape has shifted significantly, and if you own property in New York City, you need to know what’s different.

HPD Fines and Penalties: What Changed Under Local Law 71

How much are HPD violation fines in 2026?

HPD violation fines increased by 3x to 10x under Local Law 71, which took effect December 8, 2023. The old fine amounts many NYC landlords have memorized — like $10 per day for some Class A violations — are no longer accurate. The increases apply to Class A, Class B, and most Class C violations.

If a Class B violation goes uncorrected, penalties can reach $250 per month. A single unresolved Class B violation can cost more than $1,800 in a year. And these are per-violation figures — buildings with multiple open violations can accumulate thousands in penalties quickly.

The penalty increases also apply to registration violations, which is an area a lot of owners overlook.

What are the fines for not registering a building with HPD in NYC?

Under Local Law 71, failing to file a registration form for a multiple dwelling now carries penalties of $500 to $1,500 for buildings with five or fewer apartments, and $1,000 to $5,000 for buildings with more than five.

Providing false information on a registration — including incorrect addresses or listing people in positions they don’t actually hold — carries penalties of $750 to $5,000.

These are not abstract numbers. If you recently inherited a property, bought a new building, or changed your managing agent, double-check that your HPD registration is accurate and current. An outdated registration is one of the easiest violations to avoid and one of the most expensive to ignore.

The HPD Certification Watchlist: A New Enforcement Tool

What is the HPD Certification Watchlist in NYC?

The Certification Watchlist is a public list of NYC buildings where owners or managing agents have falsely certified that HPD violations were corrected when they actually weren’t. HPD launched the first Certification Watchlist in January 2025, as required by Local Law 71. The list identifies 100 multiple dwellings with significant numbers of improperly certified hazardous violations.

This is a meaningful change. Before the watchlist, false certification was a risk owners took — sometimes knowingly, sometimes through sloppy management. Now there’s a public record, and landing on it triggers enhanced enforcement: more frequent inspections, potential inclusion in the Alternative Enforcement Program (AEP), HPD-appointed administrators, emergency repairs billed directly to the owner, property liens, and in extreme cases, HPD-initiated foreclosure.

What are the penalties for falsely certifying an HPD violation in NYC?

Falsely certifying the correction of an HPD violation now carries specific penalties: $50 to $250 for each non-hazardous violation falsely certified, and $250 to $500 for each hazardous violation. These are per-violation penalties, and they add up fast for buildings with multiple open issues.

The practical takeaway: never certify a correction unless the work has been completed and documented. If you’re relying on a managing agent or superintendent to handle certifications, make sure they understand that this is no longer something anyone should treat casually. A single building with 20 falsely certified hazardous violations could face $5,000 to $10,000 in false certification penalties alone — on top of the underlying violation fines.

What are the penalties for falsely certifying an HPD violation in NYC?

Lead Paint Compliance in NYC: Local Law 31 in 2026

What is the Local Law 31 lead paint testing deadline in NYC?

The Local Law 31 deadline for XRF (X-ray fluorescence) lead paint testing in NYC residential buildings was August 9, 2025. As of 2026, that deadline has passed, and HPD enforcement has shifted from education to active violations, fines, and audits. Buildings that haven’t completed testing are now considered out of compliance by default.

The law was also expanded to require testing of common areas — hallways, stairwells, lobbies — not just individual apartments. And the consequences of non-compliance got more serious: peeling lead-based paint in a common area of a building where a child under six resides is now classified as a Class C (immediately hazardous) violation, meaning a 24-hour correction window.

What happens if my NYC building hasn’t completed Local Law 31 testing?

If your building missed the August 2025 deadline, you may face HPD violations for incomplete or missing testing records, Class C violations if lead paint hazards are found in units or common areas with young children, and increased scrutiny from lenders and insurers who now routinely require proof of LL31 compliance before proceeding with transactions.

Late compliance is still better than no compliance. HPD does consider good-faith efforts when escalating enforcement. But the window for acting without consequences has closed. If your testing is incomplete, get it done now with a certified environmental testing firm and keep all documentation — test reports, clearance results, and repair records — readily accessible.

Several related laws have tightened this further. Local Law 127 broadened the criteria HPD uses to select buildings for compliance audits, now factoring in geographic data on elevated blood lead levels in children. Local Law 122 requires owners to share lead hazard violation results with affected tenants.

Natural Gas Detector Requirements for NYC Landlords

Are natural gas detectors required in NYC apartments?

Yes. As of May 1, 2025, NYC property owners are required to provide and install natural gas detectors in all residential buildings under Local Law 157 of 2016. This applies alongside existing requirements for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. HPD inspectors now check for natural gas detectors during routine inspections, and missing or defective units will result in a violation.

HPD can also issue violations for missing gas safety signage. Buildings with gas service are required to post a Suspected Gas Leaks Notice for tenants explaining how to identify gas odors and what to do if they suspect a leak

Can NYC landlords charge tenants for natural gas detectors?

No. The cost of providing and installing natural gas detectors falls on the property owner. This is consistent with NYC’s approach to smoke and carbon monoxide detectors — landlords bear the installation cost, and tenants are responsible for maintaining them and replacing batteries.
This is a relatively low-cost compliance item. If you haven’t installed natural gas detectors yet, this is one of the easiest fixes on this entire list. Don’t let a missing $30 detector turn into a violation with compounding penalties.

Cross-Agency Enforcement: HPD Violations Can Trigger DOB and ECB Reviews

Can an HPD violation trigger a DOB or ECB violation in NYC?

Yes. NYC has implemented stricter cross-agency enforcement, meaning an HPD violation can now trigger automatic reviews by the Department of Buildings (DOB), the Environmental Control Board (ECB), or the Fire Department (FDNY). What used to be a single-agency issue can cascade into fines and hearings across multiple city agencies.

This is especially relevant for work-without-permit violations, which surged significantly in 2025 and 2026. If you’ve done renovation work without proper permits and it surfaces during an HPD inspection, the DOB is likely to get involved too. DOB work-without-permit penalties start at $2,400 and escalate based on scope. Combined with HPD fines and ECB hearings, the total exposure from a single unpermitted renovation can reach $15,000 to $40,000.

The practical advice: keep your permits current, your registrations accurate, and your violations cleared. Each agency operates on different schedules — some update daily, others weekly — and they use different terminology for deadlines. A coordinated compliance approach across HPD, DOB, and ECB is no longer optional for any serious building owner in Brooklyn or anywhere else in New York City.

What NYC Property Owners Should Do Right Now

How do I check if my NYC building has open HPD violations?

Search your building’s address on HPD Online or the NYC Buildings Information System (BIS) to see any open violations. This information is public — your tenants, prospective buyers, insurers, and neighbors can see it too. Make it a habit to check at least quarterly.

You can search HPD violations at HPD Online and building violations at the Buildings Information System (BIS). For a room-by-room overview of what inspectors look for, download this HPD violations checklist (PDF).

What’s the most important thing NYC landlords can do to avoid HPD violations?

Maintain good communication with your tenants. This was true before any of these regulatory changes, and it’s still the single most effective way to prevent 311 complaints from becoming HPD violations. A repair plan you communicate clearly and follow through on is worth more than any compliance checklist.

Beyond that, here’s your 2026 compliance checklist: update your mental math on fines (they’re 3–10x higher under Local Law 71), confirm your lead paint testing is complete and documented under Local Law 31, install natural gas detectors if you haven’t already, and never certify a correction you haven’t actually made. The Certification Watchlist is public, and the risk of false certification is no longer just a fine — it’s a flag that invites sustained enforcement attention.