N.Y.C. Admin. Code tit. 27, ch. 2 § 27-2080
Maintenance of a registry in rooming house and single room occupancy buildings (New York City Housing Maintenance Code)
Operative Text
An owner or lessee of any dwelling containing rooming house accommodations or any room or rooms used for single room occupancy shall keep a register in such dwelling in the custody of a responsible agent. The register shall show: The name, signature, age, previous residence, date of arrival and date of departure of each tenant of rooming house accommodations or of a room or rooms used for single room occupancy; the room or rooms occupied by such tenant; and the names and ages of all persons residing in or occupying such room or rooms with such tenant. The owner or lessee of such a dwelling and the agent who maintains the register in such dwelling shall permit any officer or employee of the department or any inspector from any city department to inspect the register. It shall be unlawful for such owner or lessee knowingly to cause or permit any false entry to be made in such register. It shall be unlawful for any tenant to provide the owner or lessee of such dwelling with any false information on any matter required to be included in the register.
Under N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 27-2001 and 27-2080, owners or lessees of rooming houses and single room occupancy (SRO) buildings are required to maintain an on-site register documenting each tenant's name, signature, age, prior address, arrival and departure dates, room assignment, and the names and ages of any co-occupants. The register must be kept by a responsible agent on the premises and made available for inspection by city department officers or inspectors on request. Both owners and tenants bear legal obligations under this provision: owners may not knowingly allow false entries, and tenants may not supply false information for inclusion in the register.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of rooming houses and SRO buildings subject to N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 27-2001 and 27-2080 generally designate a responsible on-site agent to maintain the register and ensure it is current and accurate for every occupant. Compliant operators collect all required details at move-in — including each tenant's prior residence, age, and signature — and update departure dates promptly when a tenant leaves. Because city inspectors have the right to review the register at any time, operators typically keep it readily accessible and take care never to knowingly allow any inaccurate entry to stand.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Tenants living in rooming houses or SRO buildings covered by N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 27-2001 and 27-2080 are legally required to provide accurate information to the owner or lessee for inclusion in the building register, including their name, age, and prior address. Providing false information for the register is expressly prohibited under this provision, so tenants should understand that accuracy is a legal obligation, not merely an administrative formality. Tenants who have questions about how their personal information in the register is being used or shared may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or contact the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development for guidance.
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.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.