Brooklyn has seen rapid development and conversion activity, leading to a surge in DOB violations for unpermitted work and illegal conversions. Older neighborhoods like Bushwick, Bed-Stuy, and Crown Heights have high HPD complaint volumes.
Enter any Brooklyn address to get a free compliance report with DOB, HPD, ECB, and FDNY violations.
Free Compliance CheckBrooklyn's compliance profile is bimodal. On one end you have brownstone belt neighborhoods (Park Slope, Fort Greene, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights) where the buildings are historic, landmarked, and the enforcement conversation is dominated by LPC approvals and Local Law 11 facades. On the other you have Bushwick, Bed-Stuy, Sunset Park, and East New York, where the same DOB is battling illegal basement conversions, unpermitted third-story additions on 2-family homes, and lead paint in pre-1960 housing stock. Add rapid development in Williamsburg, Downtown Brooklyn, Gowanus, and Bushwick — a wave of 5-8 story new-builds means construction-related DOB citations (falling debris, no fencing, no site safety plans) have surged.
Every Brooklyn building has a public record on the NYC DOB BIS at a810-bisweb.nyc.gov and HPD Online at hpdonline.nyc.gov, searchable by address. Pijexa's free compliance check pulls both sources plus ECB, FDNY, and OATH records for any Brooklyn address into a single report.
Only under specific conditions. The NYC Basement Apartment Conversion Pilot Program (BACPP) allows conversions in certain East New York and Cypress Hills zip codes if the space meets egress, ceiling height (7'), light, and ventilation requirements. Outside the pilot area, cellar rentals are illegal and generate DOB Class 1 vacate orders plus HPD relocation costs.
The top items are: DOB Local Law 11 facade status (buildings 6+ stories), LPC violations if landmarked (Park Slope, Fort Greene, Cobble Hill, etc.), unpermitted stoop or extension work (very common on rebuys), and HPD lead paint records (all pre-1960 buildings with children under 6). Check DOB permit history for evidence of any interior renovation that didn't get a proper C of O update.
HPD violation civil penalties range from $10-$500 per day per violation depending on class (A=non-hazardous, B=hazardous, C=immediately hazardous). Class C violations (no heat, no hot water, lead paint hazards, immediate safety issues) can accumulate rapidly — a single unresolved no-heat complaint through a Brooklyn winter can generate $30,000+ in fines.
Only buildings 25,000+ square feet are covered. Most Brooklyn brownstones, 2-4 family homes, and small walk-ups are below the threshold. LL97 primarily affects larger Brooklyn buildings in Downtown Brooklyn, Williamsburg new construction, and DUMBO/Prospect Heights luxury towers. Check your building's DOF certificate of occupancy for gross floor area.
All Brooklyn building violations are tracked across these agencies. Our compliance check tool consolidates records from all sources into a single report.
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