N.Y.C. Admin. Code tit. 27, ch. 2 § 27-2005
Duties of owner (New York City Housing Maintenance Code)
Operative Text
a. The owner of a multiple dwelling shall keep the premises in good repair. b. The owner of a multiple dwelling, in addition to the duty imposed upon such owner by subdivision a of this section, shall be responsible for compliance with the requirements of this code, except insofar as responsibility for compliance is imposed upon the tenant alone. c. The owner of a one- or two-family dwelling shall keep the premises in good repair, and shall be responsible for compliance with the provisions of this code, except to the extent otherwise agreed between such owner and any tenant of such dwelling by lease or other contract in writing, or except insofar as responsibility for compliance with this code is imposed upon the tenant alone. d. The owner of a dwelling shall not harass any tenants or persons lawfully entitled to occupancy of such dwelling as set forth in paragraph 48 of subdivision a of section 27-2004 of this chapter. e. 1. The owner of a multiple dwelling shall provide lawful occupants of such multiple dwelling with notice prior to making repairs, or performing other work, that will cause an interruption of any heat, hot water, cold water, gas or electricity service expected to last for two or more hours. The department shall by rule prescribe the form, timing and placement of the notice, provided that the notice shall be publicly posted in a prominent place within the multiple dwelling at least twenty-four hours before the interruption of such service is expected to commence and shall remain posted until such interruption ends. Where the owner expects that an interruption of any heat, hot water, cold water, gas or electricity service will last for less than two hours or where such interruption is due to emergency repairs or work, as defined by department rule, advance notice need not be posted, provided that where such interruption lasts for two or more hours, notice shall be posted as soon as practicable after the commencement of such interruption. Such notice shall identify the service to be interrupted, the type of work to be performed, the expected start and end dates of the service interruption. The notice shall be updated as needed. Such notice shall be posted in English, Spanish and such other languages as the department may provide by rule. 2. Repairs made pursuant to section 27-2125 of this code shall be exempt from the provisions of this subdivision. f. The owner of a dwelling shall deliver or cause to be delivered to each tenant and prospective tenant of such dwelling, along with the lease or lease renewal form for such tenant or prospective tenant, and shall post and maintain in a common area of the building containing such dwelling, a notice, in a form developed or approved by the department, regarding the procedures that should be followed when a gas leak is suspected. Such notice may be combined with any existing required notices and shall instruct tenants to first call 911 and then call the relevant gas service provider, whose name and emergency phone number shall be set forth on such notice, before contacting such owner or an agent thereof when a gas leak is suspected. g. The owner of a multiple dwelling shall obtain for each dwelling unit, where available, the previous four years of rent amounts from the New York state division of housing and community renewal, and provide such rent amounts to the current tenant of such dwelling unit. h. The owner of a multiple dwelling shall keep all unoccupied dwelling units in such multiple dwelling in good repair. (Am. L.L. 2015/047, 6/2/2015, eff. 9/30/2015; Am. L.L. 2016/153, 12/6/2016, eff. 6/4/2017; Am. L.L. 2019/113, 6/8/2019, eff. 10/6/2019; Am. L.L. 2024/001, 1/6/2024, eff. 8/3/2024)
Under N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 27-2001 and 27-2005, owners of multiple dwellings bear broad responsibility for keeping their buildings—including unoccupied units—in good repair and in compliance with the Housing Maintenance Code, except where the code places specific duties on tenants. The provision also prohibits owners from harassing occupants, requires advance posted notice before planned service interruptions (heat, hot water, cold water, gas, or electricity) lasting two or more hours, and obligates owners to supply tenants with gas-leak emergency procedures and, upon request or lease signing, up to four years of prior rent history obtained from the state housing agency. One- and two-family dwelling owners carry similar repair and compliance duties, though written lease agreements may shift some responsibilities to tenants.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of multiple dwellings subject to §§ 27-2001 and 27-2005 generally maintain all occupied and unoccupied units in good repair, document compliance with Housing Maintenance Code requirements, and refrain from any conduct that could constitute tenant harassment as defined in the code. When scheduling repairs or other work that will interrupt heat, hot water, cold water, gas, or electricity for two or more hours, compliant operators post conspicuous multilingual notices—at minimum 24 hours in advance—identifying the affected service, the work type, and the expected start and end dates. At lease signing or renewal, operators also deliver the department-approved gas-leak notice and provide tenants with up to four years of prior rent history obtained from the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under §§ 27-2001 and 27-2005, tenants in multiple dwellings have the right to a building kept in good repair, to advance notice before planned utility interruptions of two or more hours, to a gas-leak emergency procedures notice at lease signing or renewal, and to receive prior rent history for their unit going back up to four years. Tenants who believe an owner has failed to maintain the premises, posted inadequate or no service-interruption notice, or engaged in harassment may file a complaint with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, which enforces the Housing Maintenance Code. Tenants may also consult a tenant-rights organization to understand how a violation under this provision might be raised as a defense or affirmative claim in housing court proceedings.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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