Required Signage

Required Signage

The Housing Maintenance Code (contained in the NYC Administrative Code), Multiple Dwelling Law, and the Rules of the City of New York require signage to be posted at buildings, documents to be filed with New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), and notices to be provided by property owners to tenants. Below is an overview of some of these requirements. For more information about what is required, see the laws that are referenced and the Rules of the City of New York. This page is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice or as a statement of the law. You may wish to consult with an attorney.

Required Registrations

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Annual Residential Property Registration

Property owners of residential multiple family dwellings (3+ residential units) or private dwellings where neither the owner nor the owner’s immediate family reside are required to register annually with HPD. Property owners must also register with HPD when a new owner takes over the property or when information on the registration form changes. Property owners will be billed $13 for each registration NYC Department of Finance and must pay the amount owed.

Section of the Law: HMC § 27-2097

If you an an owner and looking for annual rent registrations, please visit the NYS Department of Homes and Community Renewal's Rent Registration webpage. 

Signage Requirements

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Safe Construction Bill of Rights

Property owners of a multiple dwelling are required to distribute and post a Safe Construction Bill of Rights notice (specifics on the posting are in the law) contemporaneously with an application for a permit for work not constituting minor alterations or ordinary repairs, contemporaneously with the owner’s notification of the department that an emergency work permit is being sought, or, for new buildings, immediately upon application for a temporary certificate of occupancy. The owner must also distribute a tenant protection plan notice meeting the requirements of section 28-104.8.4.3 of the code regarding the tenant protection plan to each occupied dwelling unit and (ii) post such notice. The notice shall remain posted until the completion of the described permitted work. The notice shall be posted in English and also made available in Spanish, Arabic, Haitian Creole, Chinese, Korean, and Russian, as necessary.

Section of the Law: HMC § 27-2009.2 (Local Law 159 of 2017)

Post gas leak notice

Property owners of a dwelling are required to provide tenants with a notice regarding procedures that should be followed when a gas leak is suspected. The information must be provided by: delivering such notice to each tenant and prospective tenant of such dwelling (all tenant-occupied units, including 1- and 2- family homes) with the lease or lease renewal form for such tenant or prospective tenant AND posting and maintaining a notice in a common area of the building. The required format for the sign is described in Section 12-11 of Chapter 12 of Title 28 of the Rules of the City of New York. Section 12-12.1 of Chapter 12 of Title 28 of the Rules of the City of new York describes conditions under which a combined notice may be used, combining notice of suspected gas leak procedures with notice for smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. View Sample Notice - Suspected Gas Leak for suspected gas leak only or Sample Notice - Combined Notice for smoke detectors/carbon monoxide detectors and gas leak notice.

Section of the Law: HMC § 27-2005 (Local Law 153 of 2016)

Post fire safety notice

Owners of apartment buildings (three or more apartments) are required to post an Emergency Preparedness Notice on the inside of all apartment entrance doors and in the lobby or common area.

For more information, go to FDNY’s Rules webpage. Tenants – if there is no notice on your apartment door, contact your building owner/manager or notify FDNY at FDNY.BusinessSupport@fdny.nyc.gov.

Post "Shut the Door" signs

Local Law 115 directed FDNY to require owners of multiple dwellings to post a notice in conspicuous locations indicating that those escaping a fire should close all doors behind them to limit smoke and contain the fire. The “Shut the Door” notice must be maintained by promptly replacing any missing or damaged postings. For more information, go to FDNY’s Rules webpage.

Post certificate of inspection visits in frame

The owner should provide a frame that is properly able to accommodate a 6" x 9" inspection visit card. The frame should be posted 48-62 inches above the floor. If a mailbox exists, the frame should be posted at or near the mailbox. If there is no mailbox in the vestibule, the owner should select a suitable accessible location in the vestibule or entrance way of the building for the frame. The HPD inspector who visits the premises will provide the inspection card. If the top portion of the card is not completed, the owner must fill in top portion of card.

Section of the Law: MDL § 329

Post sign for garbage collection

If there is no 24 hour dumbwaiter service an owner must post a sign in the building lobby indicating the current hours and method of garbage collection. The sign should be enclosed in plastic or in a frame to prevent vandalism or tampering.

Section of the Law: HMC § 27-2022

Post name and location of person with keys to boiler room

An owner must post the name and location of the person with the key to the boiler room on notices approved by HPD. One notice should be posted conspicuously in the lobby and another should be posted on the entrance door of the boiler room.

Section of the Law: HMC § 27-2033

Post floor sign

The owner must paint or post a sign indicating the floor number on each floor.

Section of the Law: HMC § 27-2048

Post street number on dwelling

The owner must post and maintain a street number on the front of building. The street number must be visible from the sidewalk.

Section of the Law: HMC § 27-2049

Post janitor name/address

Post sign with the name of the janitor or housekeeper with their address, apartment number and telephone number at entrance of building.

Section of the Law: HMC § 27-2053

Smoke Detecting Devices Notice

The owner of a Class A multiple dwelling is required to post a Smoke Detecting Devices Notice in a form approved by HPD at or near mailboxes. View the sample Smoke Detecting Devices Notice.

Section of the Law: 28 RCNY § 12-01 

The owner may instead choose to post a combined notice for Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detecting Devices and Gas Leak Procedures. View the sample combined Smoke Detecting and Carbon Monoxode Detecting Devices and Gas Leak Procedures Notice.

Section of the Law: 28 RCNY § 12-12.1

Carbon Monoxide Detecting Device Notice

Post a carbon monoxide detecting device requirement notice in a form approved by HPD in a common area. View Sample Notice - Carbon Monoxide Detectors for carbon monoxide detector notice only or Sample Notice - Combined Notice for smoke detectors/carbon monoxide detectors and gas leak notice. Section 12-12.1 of Chapter 12 of the Rules of the City of new York describes conditions under which a combined notice may be used.

Section of the Law: HMC § 27-2046.1

Maximum occupancy in rooms

Hotel and Class B rooming unit rooms are required to have a sign indicating maximum occupancy posted inside the unit.

Section of the Law: HMC § 27-2075

Housing Information Guide notice

Post a Housing Information Guide for Tenants and Owners about the availability of a housing information guide, the ABCs of Housing, for tenants and owners in a conspicuous place within view of the area in the multiple dwelling to which mail is delivered.

Section of the Law: NYC Administrative Code § 26-1103

Notice of Interruption of Services

Property owners of a multiple dwelling must post a Notice of Interruption of Services prior to making repairs, or performing other work, that will cause an interruption of any heat, hot water, cold water, gas or electricity service expected to last for two or more hours.  The notice must be publicly posted at least twenty-four hours before the interruption of such service is expected to commence and must remain posted until such interruption ends. The notice must be posted in English and in Spanish and must be updated as needed.

Section of the Law: HMC § 27-2005 (Local Law 47 of 2015)

Disaster Response Signage

Owners of residential dwellings where at least one unit is not occupied by the owner are required to post a Emergency Notification prior to the arrival of a weather emergency, after a natural disaster, and after being informed that a utility outage will last for more than 24 hours. Learn more about disaster response.

Section of the Law: HMC § 27-2005 (Local Law 47 of 2015)

Post or distribute Bedbug Annual Filing Receipt

Property owners are required to post the Bedbug Annual Filing Receipt in a prominent location or distribute to tenants upon commencement of a new lease or with each lease renewal. The filing receipt notifies tenants of the bedbug infestation history of their building. In addition, the owner must either distribute or post a Stop Bed Bugs Safely brochure that provides information about the prevention, detection, and removal of bedbugs.

Section of the Law: HMC § 27-2005 (Local Law 47 of 2015)

Serial number signage

A sign containing the serial number assigned to the building by HPD should be posted in the building’s entrance hall. The sign should also include the building’s street address, and information about the superintendent, janitor, or housekeeper of the building. For full details of what is required for this sign, see §25-81 of Chapter 25 of Title 28 of the Rules of the City of New York.

Section of the Law: HMC § 27-2107

Required Notices to Provide to Tenants

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Lease/commencement of occupancy notice for prevention of lead-based paint hazards - inquiry regarding child

Give new occupants, upon lease-up, agreement to lease, renewal of a lease, or commencement of occupancy, a form inquiring if a child under age six will reside in the unit. The Lease/Commencement of Occupancy Notice for Prevention of Lead-based Paint Hazards—Inquiry Regarding Child must also be provided in Spanish (Contrato/Comienzo de ocupación y medidas de precaucion con los peligros de plomo en la pintura-encuesta respecto al niño.). Owners must also certify on this form that they have performed the work required to be done in vacant units prior to reoccupancy. Additionally, owners must provide a pamphlet informing occupants about lead, available in English (Fix Lead Paint) and Spanish (Reduzca los peligros a causa de la pintura con plomo).

Section of the Law: HMC § 27-2056.4

Protect your child from window falls and lead poisoning notice

Include a notice about owner responsibilities under the law with each lease and provide a pamphlet informing occupants about lead. The notice must be provided in English (Protect Your Child from Lead Poisoning and Window Falls) and Spanish (Proteja a su niño del envenenamiento por plomo y de las caídas por las ventanas). The same notice asks tenants of multiple dwellings (buildings of 3 or more apartments) whether there is a child under 11, in which case window guards are required to be installed by the owner. There is also a requirement that owners physically inspect units whose occupants do not respond to the notice to determine if there is a child under six residing in the unit. For more details about the inspection requirement see §11-03 of Chapter 11 of Title 28 of the Rules of the City of New York.

Section of the Law: HMC § 27-2043.1

Carbon monoxide detector installation notice

Whenever an owner installs a carbon monoxide detector, he/she is required to provide written information regarding the testing and maintenance of detectors, including general information concerning carbon monoxide poisoning and what to do if an alarm goes off, to at least one adult occupant of each dwelling unit when the unit is installed. The written information must also explain that the owner has a duty to replace carbon monoxide detectors upon the expiration of their useful life.

Section of the Law: HMC § 27-2046.1

Gas leak notice

See the Post gas leak notice in the Required Signage section above.

Section of the Law: HMC § 27-2005

Distribute Building Information Sheet

Owners of apartment buildings (three or more apartments) are required to prepare and distribute a Building Information Sheet to all residents and building staff. Owners can use this fillable building information form. For more information, go to FDNY’s Rules webpage.

Post or distribute Bedbug Annual Filing Receipt

See the Post or distribute Bedbug Annual Filing Receipt in the Required Signage section above.

Section of the Law: HMC § 27-2005 (Local Law 47 of 2015)

Indoor allergens annual notice and pamphlet

Distribute, upon a lease renewal or signing of a new vacancy lease, a Lease/Commencement of Occupancy Notice for Indoor Allergen Hazards that outlines the owner’s obligation to annually inspect the apartment for indoor allergens and their responsibility to remediate mold and pest infestations, including underlying defects, prior to the occupancy of a new tenant. In addition, property owners are required to distribute the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Local Law 55 fact sheet. The pamphlet includes information on what tenants can do to prevent indoor allergens and a property owner’s obligations to eliminate mold and pest infestation.

Section of the Law: HMC § 27-2017.2

Stove knob covers availability annual notice