Rochester, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 90 § 90-20
Building owner's registry required (Rochester NY Property Code)
Operative Text
A. The owners of all buildings shall register with the City as required herein. B. The owners of all buildings existing as of the effective date of this section shall register upon notice by the Director or upon submission of an application for a new or renewal certificate of occupancy. C. The owner of a new building shall register the building prior to allowing occupancy thereof. D. The owner of any building already registered with the City shall reregister within 10 days after any change occurs in registration information. A new owner of a registered building shall reregister the building within 10 days of assuming ownership. E. The City shall maintain a registry of all buildings containing the following information, which shall be provided by the owner on forms available from the City: (1) Name, street address and business telephone number of the owner. (2) If the owner is not a natural person or is a natural person and the building is required to have a certificate of occupancy pursuant to § 90-16 , the name, street address and business telephone number of the agent, manager or principal maintenance person to be responsible for and in control of the property shall also be provided on the application. If a principal, a partner or the owner resides in a 13020 through 13905 or 14001 through 14925 zip code, he or she may designate him or herself as such property maintenance person. If a principal, partner or the owner does not reside in a 13020 through 13905 or 14001 through 14925 zip code, he or she must designate a person who resides in Monroe County as such property maintenance person. Such designation can be a responsible employee of a property maintenance company located in Monroe County. Any designation made pursuant to this section shall remain in full force and effect until changed or terminated. (3) For purposes of this section, a post office box shall not be accepted as a street address. (4) All notices of violation and other service of process upon an owner, if mailed, shall continue to be mailed to the owner's tax mailing address if such address has been provided by the owner to the City. (5) It shall be a violation of this chapter for an owner to fail to provide the information or to provide inaccurate information required herein for the registry. A ticket may be served on the owner of a building who fails to register, reregister or otherwise comply with the provisions of this section. The violation shall be considered a health and safety category violation for which the penalties set forth in § 13A-11D(1)(b) of the Municipal Code shall apply. F. If the owner is a limited liability company, the following additional information and documentation shall be provided to the building owner's registry: (1) A document identifying the names and business addresses of all members, managers, and any other authorized persons, if any, of such limited liability company. (2) If any such member, manager, or authorized person of the limited liability company is itself a limited liability company or any other business entity that is not a publicly traded entity, REIT, UPREIT, or mutual fund, the names and addresses of the shareholders, directors, officers, members, managers, and partners of such limited liability company or other business entity shall also be disclosed until full disclosure of ultimate ownership by natural persons is achieved. (3) For the purposes of this Subsection F , the terms "members," "managers," "authorized person," "limited liability company" and "other business entity" shall have the same meaning as those are defined in § 102 of the Limited Liability Company Law. (4) The identification of such names and addresses shall not be deemed an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy pursuant to Article 6 of the NYS Public Officers Law. G. This section shall not apply to buildings that are owner-occupied one-family dwellings or owner-occupied two-family dwellings outside the Lead Paint High-Risk Area; buildings owned by federal, state or local government units; hospitals; schools, colleges or universities; or commercial or industrial buildings that maintain operations for 24 hours each day or that have security on site 24 hours each day. A single registration shall be required for all buildings on a property.
Rochester City Code § 90-20 establishes a mandatory building owner registry administered by the City. All covered building owners must register and keep their registration current, including updating information within 10 days of any ownership change or change in registration details. The registry is publicly maintained and must include verified contact information for owners and, where required, a designated local property maintenance person. Certain categories of buildings—such as owner-occupied one- and two-family dwellings outside the Lead Paint High-Risk Area and government-owned properties—are exempt from this requirement.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Rochester City Code § 90-20, compliant building operators register with the City before allowing occupancy of a new building, and reregister within 10 days whenever ownership or any registration detail changes. Owners who are limited liability companies must disclose the names and business addresses of all members, managers, and authorized persons, with further disclosure required if any of those entities are themselves non-publicly-traded business entities. Operators also ensure that a designated property maintenance person residing in Monroe County (or within the specified New York zip codes) is on file, and that all registration information is accurate, since providing false or incomplete information constitutes a health and safety violation subject to penalties under § 13A-11D(1)(b) of the Municipal Code.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Rochester City Code § 90-20 gives tenants an indirect but meaningful protection: the City maintains a public registry of building owners and their designated local contacts, making it easier to identify who is responsible for a property. If a building's owner has failed to register or has provided inaccurate information, that failure is treated as a health and safety violation, and a ticket may be issued against the owner. Tenants who cannot identify their building's responsible party, or who believe an owner is out of compliance with § 90-20, may contact the City's relevant enforcement office or reach out to a local tenant-rights organization to understand available options.
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
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