Look up an NYC building by address
Search one address to bring the building's public records together. Check its history before you rent without repeating the search on several city websites.
Where NYC building records come from
HPD, DOB, 311, property, health and enforcement systems each hold part of a building's history. Apartment Fax uses the address and official building identifiers to combine those records on one timeline. Each result keeps its agency and record type so you can tell what was reported, inspected or enforced.
City datasets cover different dates and update on different schedules. A search with no results in one system does not rule out a problem, permit, complaint or legal record in another.
What Apartment Fax checks
- 01
Building age, size, tax lot, owner and HPD registration
- 02
HPD and DOB violations, complaints and recorded status
- 03
DOB permits, occupancy records and building-safety filings
- 04
311, bedbug, rodent, eviction, litigation and ownership history
Why one building has records on several websites
BIS and DOB NOW hold different parts of the construction history. HPD Online covers housing maintenance. Other systems hold 311 requests, health inspections, deeds and City Marshal evictions. A single address search brings these records together.
Apartment Fax keeps the source and type with each result. You can distinguish a complaint from an inspected violation, a permit, an ownership filing or a completed enforcement action.
Read dates as well as totals
Recent open problems deserve different attention from old resolved records. Check for issues that repeat over several years. Consider the building's size too: a large property generally produces more records than a small walk-up.
Start with the newest and most serious records. Follow the cited agency source when a finding could affect your decision. During the viewing, ask the landlord or broker about repairs, construction and ownership changes in the timeline.
Check the official records
Frequently asked questions
How do I look up a building in NYC?
Search the exact street address. Apartment Fax finds its official building identifiers and brings records from the relevant city systems into one report.
What records can an NYC building lookup show?
Available records may include building facts, ownership, HPD and DOB conditions, complaints, permits, occupancy documents, pest history, evictions and litigation.
Does a clean lookup guarantee the building has no problems?
No. Public data may be incomplete, delayed or limited to certain agencies and dates. The lookup shows recorded history. Visit the building to check its current condition.