Housing - Housing Inspection

If you need repairs in your apartment, or the reason you did not pay is because of bad conditions, you have to prove it in your case.   The best way to do this is to have a housing inspector come to your home and record all the violations that exist.  Click here to learn how to find a record of previous violations in your building.

Even before there is a court case, if you have problems in your apartment or building, you can call 311 or (212) NEW-YORK (639-9675) to report violations and to request a housing inspection (you can also try (212) 824-4328 to request an inspection).  If an inspection is made, the landlord will receive a notice of all violations.

Once a court case has begun, if you have repair problems in your apartment or building, you should ask for an inspection from the Clerk or the Judge the first time you are in court or as soon as possible.  You have a right to ask for a housing inspection and you should ask for it if you need it to prove that there are bad conditions.

If you request an inspection from the Clerk when you answer in a nonpayment case (see "How to answer") or from the Clerk or the Judge on the first court date in a holdover or nonpayment case, you may get a date for the inspection and a date to return to court.   You will be asked to make a list of the repairs needed.  Make sure to include every problem in you apartment and in the public areas of the building.   If a problem or area is not on the list, the inspector may refuse to look at it.