NYC complaint history
Look up complaints for an NYC building
Check the address
Free checkFind the right building before comparing its complaint history.
Check the address for free, then review available HPD, DOB and housing-related 311 records in a $1 report. See what people reported and whether an agency recorded a violation.
How to read the recordsReading the records
What a building complaint means
HPD, DOB and 311 have different ways to receive and inspect complaints. A complaint tells you someone reported a problem. It should not be described as a confirmed violation unless the agency recorded one.
Duplicate requests may describe one event, and large buildings generally generate more complaints. Some 311 records use the nearest address. Compare the reports with inspections, violations and building size.
- 01
Check who recorded it
HPD, DOB and 311 handle different kinds of reports. Keep the agency with each record.
- 02
Look for a pattern
Compare dates and categories. Several requests may describe the same event.
- 03
Check what followed
Look for later inspections and violations. Consider how many apartments the building has before comparing complaint totals.
How to read an example
What a closed complaint tells you
In this example, someone reported a problem and the city closed the request. That does not prove an inspector found a violation or that the problem was repaired.
Did the agency inspect it, and did the same problem come back? Compare dates and related violations.
Example only. Not a record for a real address.
- Record type
- 311 service request
- Reported problem
- Heat / hot water
- Request status
- Closed
- Confirmed violation
- Not established by this request
Read the source, date and status together.
Dated public records
Buildings with repeated HPD complaints
Distinct HPD complaint IDs received in the date range below. One complaint can contain several problem records, so those problems are not counted as separate complaints. These are reported conditions, not confirmed violations.
Snapshot checked 2026-09-14. Source updated 2026-09-14. Records from 2025-09-14 through 2026-09-14. Housing Maintenance Code Complaints and Problems · View the source query
- Bronx
- 201,175
- Brooklyn
- 175,190
- Manhattan
- 143,987
- Queens
- 80,640
- Staten Island
- 8,443
Scroll sideways for more columns →
| Building | Borough | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 30-70 34 Street | Queens | 3,351 |
| 1040B East 217 Street | Bronx | 2,403 |
| 2800 Creston Avenue | Bronx | 1,707 |
| 957 Woodycrest Avenue | Bronx | 1,465 |
| 1120 Glenmore Avenue | Brooklyn | 1,360 |
| 707 East 242 Street | Bronx | 1,286 |
| 225 Central Park North | Manhattan | 1,207 |
| 25 Hillside Avenue | Manhattan | 969 |
| 2410 Washington Avenue | Bronx | 756 |
| 2040 Bronxdale Avenue | Bronx | 742 |
| 3605 Sedgwick Avenue | Bronx | 742 |
| 6902 Ridge Boulevard | Brooklyn | 696 |
| 110 East 1 Street | Manhattan | 696 |
| 2588 7 Avenue | Manhattan | 694 |
| 2380 Broadway | Manhattan | 650 |
| 470 Ocean Avenue | Brooklyn | 605 |
| 2265 Gerritsen Avenue | Brooklyn | 575 |
| 335 East 148 Street | Bronx | 562 |
| 305 East 45 Street | Manhattan | 560 |
| 76 St Nicholas Place | Manhattan | 557 |
Counts can change after this snapshot. Open the official source for the latest published records.
Address check and report
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The address check confirms the location. The full report brings the available public records together and is emailed when ready.
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In the $1 report
- HPD housing-maintenance complaints and their status
- DOB complaint types, dates and outcomes
- Housing-related 311 requests and repeated problems
- Related violations, building facts, ownership and agency sources
Coverage varies by address and source. A missing record does not mean a building has no problems.
Start with the addressWhat each agency handles
HPD complaints concern housing maintenance. DOB complaints concern construction, building codes, occupancy and building safety. 311 handles requests for many agencies. For rental research, check the housing-related categories and which agency handled each request.
Apartment Fax separates these records and shows complaints beside violations on the timeline. That helps you distinguish an isolated report from a recurring problem that led to enforcement.
Check for problems that keep coming back
Look across months, seasons and years for repeated heat, hot-water, pest, elevator, plumbing or illegal-construction complaints. Dates and descriptions help you ask more specific questions than a total count alone.
Then check the building size and whether each complaint names one apartment or the whole property. A complaint about a 200-unit building differs from one about a single apartment in a six-unit walk-up.
Go to the source
Check the official city records
HPD Online has housing-maintenance complaints and violations. DOB has separate building records. Housing-related 311 requests show what the public reported. Check for agency findings before treating those reports as confirmed violations.
More about the lookup
Frequently asked questions
How can I find complaints about an NYC building?
Search the exact address. Review HPD, DOB and housing-related 311 complaints separately, then check recent reports against related violations and inspections.
Does a building complaint prove there was a violation?
No. A complaint records a reported problem. Check HPD or DOB records for a separate finding that the condition was a violation.
Should I compare complaint totals between buildings?
Only if you also compare the number of units, dates, complaint types and duplicate requests. Check whether the complaints concern single apartments or entire buildings.
Can I search building complaints for free?
Yes. Official HPD, DOB and 311 records are available through city tools. Apartment Fax offers a free address check and an optional $1 report that brings available records together. The report is emailed when ready, with no subscription.