Buffalo, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 264 § 264-20
Certificate of rental compliance required (Buffalo Rental Dwelling Unit Registration Ordinance)
Operative Text
Certificate required. No person shall allow to be occupied, or rent to another for occupancy, any dwelling unit unless the owner has first obtained a rental dwelling unit certificate as hereafter provided.
Buffalo City Code Chapter 264, Section 264-20 establishes that every dwelling unit offered for rent must have a valid rental dwelling unit certificate before anyone is permitted to occupy it. The rule applies at the point of rental or occupancy, meaning the certificate must already be in place—not obtained after the fact. This requirement applies to all covered dwelling units regardless of size or type of rental arrangement.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Buffalo Code § 264-20, compliant rental property operators secure a rental dwelling unit certificate for each unit before any tenant moves in or occupancy begins. Operators generally maintain current certificates and renew them as required so that no gap in certification occurs between tenancies. Keeping documentation of each unit's certificate on file is a common practice that supports compliance if questions arise during inspections or code enforcement reviews.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Buffalo Code § 264-20 gives tenants a basis to verify that their dwelling unit is covered by a valid rental dwelling unit certificate, which is a condition the landlord must satisfy before occupancy is permitted. If a unit lacks the required certificate, tenants may raise this as a potential code violation with the appropriate Buffalo city enforcement office. Tenant-rights organizations familiar with Buffalo housing code can help residents understand what options are generally available when a landlord has not met this requirement.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 7, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation