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Local Law 84 (LL84) requires owners of large buildings to measure their energy and water consumption annually in a process called benchmarking. LL84 standardizes this process by requiring building owners to enter their annual energy and water use in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) online tool, ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, and use the tool to submit data to the city. Building owners are subject to a penalty if usage data isn’t submitted by May 1 every year.
On Jan. 18, the NYC Department of Finance (DOF) announced the publication of the tentative property assessment roll for fiscal year (FY) 2023, which shows the total market value of all NYC properties for the upcoming year at about $1.398 trillion, an increase of 8.2 percent from the 2022 fiscal year.
HPD recently issued a release that highlighted new standards related to lead-based paint hazards. On Dec. 1, the standard to define paint as lead-based was cut in half. This new standard, the strictest in the nation, is expected to prompt an increase in lead violations issued by HPD inspectors. HPD expects inspectors to identify more buildings that may pose a risk of lead poisoning, so that property owners can take proactive measures to protect children.
The DOB recently updated the rules for periodic elevator and boiler inspections. The new requirements alter the timing for submitting test and inspection reports for both elevators and boilers in New York City. We’ll go over the basic requirements and cover the changes the recent updates made to the requirements.
Boiler Requirements
The boiler inspection cycle is Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. Internal and external inspections for low-pressure boiler and high-pressure boilers must be performed and filed with the DOB during this cycle.
In New York City, Local Law 55 of 2018, the Asthma-Free Housing Act, requires that owners of buildings with three or more apartments keep their tenants’ apartments free of mold and pests. Under this law, an owner of multiple dwellings is required to inspect units annually for indoor allergen hazards, such as mice, cockroaches, rats, and mold. And it requires safely fixing the conditions that cause these problems.
As a result of Local Law 69 of 2017, apartment building owners are required to file bedbug infestation and treatment reports with HPD annually. Owners must file annually between Dec. 1 and Dec. 31 for the previous year, from November 2020 through October 2021.
The Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) recently announced an increase in this year’s air conditioner rent surcharge for owners who pay for electricity. It set the monthly surcharge at $27.16, up $1.85 from $25.31 last year. This year’s increase reflects a 7.8 percent increase in the price of electricity for electrical inclusion buildings as calculated by the Rent Guidelines Board’s 2021 Price Index of Operating Costs issued in April 2021.
During “heat season” HPD responds to all heat and hot water complaints and, if adequate heat and hot water conditions aren’t corrected, HPD will impose penalties and may contract with private companies under the Emergency Repair Program to restore services to residents. In the last unprecedented heat season, HPD inspectors worked through a pandemic and responded to more than 114,000 heat complaints at a time when most New Yorkers were sheltering at home.
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