Lackawanna, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 177 § 177-20
Fees
Operative Text
A. Certificate issuance. The fee, to be submitted at the time of application, for the issuance of a rental dwelling unit registration certificate and the first three-year fee shall be $50 for a rental dwelling unit in a single-family dwelling, $75 for a two-unit rental dwelling, $100 for a three- or four-unit rental dwelling and $200 for a five- or-more unit rental dwelling. B. Renewal fees. The owner shall pay the same fees as above (Fees/Subsection A) when the rental dwelling unit registration certificate expires after the three-year expiration date and has resubmitted the application for renewal. A title transfer in ownership will declare the current rental dwelling unit certificate null and void. The new owner will have to submit a new application for a rental dwelling unit registration certificate at the cost of the set fees, as above (Fees/Subsection A) . C. No fee for new buildings. There shall be no fee charged for the issuance of a rental dwelling unit registration certificate for new dwellings at the completion of their construction covered by a building permit. D. Inspection fees. Every property owner shall pay a fee of $50, per dwelling unit, to be assessed against the property, for each inspection after the second inspection in which violations of a state or local building code are found, unless such fee is waived by the Director, when, in the evaluation of the inspector, the status of the violation has not progressed or been satisfactorily completed. The fee shall not be applicable to inspections ordered after the commencement of a court action. E. Noncompliance. Unpaid fees as provided above shall constitute an unpaid tax lien against the real property involved and added to the owner's real property tax bill for said real property.
Section 177-20 of Lackawanna's Code of Ordinances establishes a tiered fee schedule for rental dwelling unit registration certificates, ranging from $50 for single-family rentals to $200 for properties with five or more units, with certificates valid for three years. Renewal fees mirror the original amounts, and a change in property ownership voids the existing certificate, requiring the new owner to obtain a fresh one. Newly constructed buildings covered by a building permit are exempt from the initial registration fee, and repeated inspection failures after the second violation-finding inspection trigger a $50-per-unit inspection fee. Any unpaid fees under § 177-20 are treated as a tax lien and added to the owner's property tax bill.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators subject to § 177-20 generally maintain current rental dwelling unit registration certificates by submitting the applicable tiered fee at the time of application and again at each three-year renewal. Compliant owners are aware that acquiring a property with an existing certificate does not transfer that certificate — a new application and fee are required upon any title transfer. To avoid accumulating $50-per-unit inspection fees under § 177-20(D), property managers typically resolve code violations before a third inspection occurs, and they monitor their tax bills for any unpaid-fee liens that may be assessed under § 177-20(E).
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 177-20 is part of Lackawanna's rental registration framework, which is designed to ensure that rental properties are properly registered and inspected for code compliance. Tenants may find it useful to know whether their landlord holds a current registration certificate, as a lapsed or voided certificate — such as one that was not renewed after three years or was not reissued following a title transfer — could signal a compliance gap. Tenants who have concerns about registration status or code violations can contact the relevant Lackawanna municipal office, or reach out to a local tenant-rights organization for general guidance on how § 177-20 interacts with their housing situation.
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
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.