Open HPD Violations and What Each Status Means

An open HPD violation is a violation that is still active on the records of the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development. HPD's own description of its violation data warns that the owner "may or may not have corrected the physical condition" while the status reads open. The violation closes when HPD sees the repair itself or accepts the landlord's certification that the work is done. An open violation tells you an inspector found a problem and HPD has not yet recorded a fix, so read the status code and the date before you decide what it means for an apartment.

You can pull every violation on a building, open and closed, by searching the address in the Building Health X building lookup. The report groups open violations by class and shows when HPD issued each one.

How an HPD Violation Opens and Closes

A violation starts with an inspection. A tenant calls 311, or HPD inspects for another reason, and the inspector records any condition that breaks the city's Housing Maintenance Code. HPD then mails the owner a Notice of Violation with a deadline that depends on the class of the problem.

Certification and Verification

After making the repair, the owner certifies the correction to HPD. Certifying does not close the violation on the spot. According to HPD's certification FAQ, the agency has up to 70 days to inspect and confirm that the owner fixed the condition. If HPD does not inspect within that window, it treats the violation as corrected. A false certification carries real risk for the owner: HPD's own forms warn that false statements are punishable by up to a year in prison, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.

Owners can also ask HPD to dismiss old violations, which involves a fee and a reinspection. That is how some records show "violation dismissed" rather than "violation closed."

Correction Deadlines by Class

HPD sorts violations into Class A, B and C by how dangerous the condition is, plus Class I for information orders. The HPD penalties and fees page lists the time an owner has to correct each one:

A violation can stay open long after its deadline passes. The deadline marks when civil penalties can apply if the matter reaches Housing Court. The record stays open until the owner certifies the repair or HPD verifies it.

Open Violations Across the City

Open violations accumulate whenever an owner does not certify a repair and HPD has not verified one, and the total includes violations from every year on record. As of September 22, 2026, HPD's public violation data lists 2,863,627 open violations across the city:

Class B holds the largest share. A few open Class A violations from a decade ago say little about an apartment today. A recent open Class C for heat, lead paint or pests in the same apartment line says a lot more.

Open Class C Violations by Borough

Brooklyn carries the most open Class C violations on record, but the Bronx leads among those issued since the start of 2024. The recent figures reflect current conditions better than the all-time totals.

Status Codes on an Open Violation

HPD Online and the city's open data show a status for each violation beyond open or closed. The labels read like jargon, but each one records a step in the process. These are the most common statuses on open violations, with the count of open violations carrying each one on September 22, 2026:

Most open violations sit at "NOV Sent Out," which means the owner never told HPD the problem was fixed. Treat that as unresolved until the landlord shows you otherwise. "Invalid Certification" and "False Certification" deserve the closest look, because they show an owner claiming repairs that HPD could not confirm.

Checking a Violation's Status

1. Search the building's address on HPD Online, or in the building lookup, and open the list of violations.
2. Filter or scan for open violations, then note the class, the apartment number and the date HPD issued each one.
3. Read the current status. "NOV Sent Out" means no certification is on file. A certification status means the owner reported a repair that HPD still has to verify.
4. Look for the same condition in the same apartment on several dates, which shows a repair that did not hold.
5. Compare the violations with the building's 311 complaints from the same period. Complaints without matching violations can mean the inspector found no violation or could not get in.

Renting in a Building With Open Violations

Many older buildings in New York carry some open violations, so a long record is not an automatic reason to walk away. Focus on these points when you look up a building's violations:

• Class C violations in your apartment or line. Open heat, lead paint, mold and pest violations affect daily life and health.
• Age. Violations from the last two or three years tell you how the current owner runs the building.
• Certification problems. Several false or invalid certifications point to an owner who papers over repairs.
• Repeat conditions. The same leak or pest violation reissued year after year means the fix never lasted.

HPD tightened the rules for the worst offenders in 2025. When it named that year's Alternative Enforcement Program buildings, HPD also launched a Certification Watchlist. For buildings on that list, HPD cannot close a hazardous violation on the owner's word alone and must make at least two reinspection attempts first.

Ask the landlord in writing which open violations in the apartment have been fixed, and ask for any remaining repairs to be done before you move in. New York's warranty of habitability, Real Property Law section 235-b, requires the landlord to keep the apartment fit to live in, and a lease cannot waive it. If you already live in the building and repairs stall, a tenant can bring an HP action in Housing Court to get a court order. As the Legal Aid Society explains, the judge in that case can also order the landlord to pay penalties for the violations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does an Open Violation Mean the Problem Still Exists?

Not always. HPD says the owner may or may not have corrected the condition while the status is open. Many violations stay open because the owner never certified the repair. Check the status code and the date, and ask the landlord for proof of the repair.

How Long Does HPD Take to Close a Certified Violation?

HPD has up to 70 days after the owner certifies a repair to inspect and verify it. If HPD does not inspect within that period, it treats the violation as corrected.

What Does NOV Sent Out Mean on HPD Online?

It means HPD mailed the Notice of Violation to the owner and has no certification of correction on file. It is the most common status among open violations in the city.

Can I Rent an Apartment With Open HPD Violations?

Yes, and in an older building you often will. Weigh the class, the age and the status of each violation, and get the landlord's written answer on any open Class C conditions in the apartment before you sign.

Who Can See a Building's HPD Violations?

Anyone. HPD Online and NYC Open Data are public, and you can search any address without an account. Since September 2025, HPD Online also shows violations issued to NYCHA buildings after court-ordered inspections.

What Is a Class I Violation?

Class I covers information orders, which HPD issues separately from the A, B and C hazard classes. They make up 232,141 of the city's open violations.