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This page helps you understand DOB codes, violation words, and common building terms in simple English. Start with the search tool if you already have a code, acronym, or word from a notice, letter, or online record. If you are not sure what to search, use the topic boxes below and the featured guides on this page.
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Type a code, short name, or keyword from your letter, violation notice, online record, or inspection note. Then open the closest matching term below. For example, you can search NOV, LL152, permit, boiler, summons, or another word you do not understand.
Try searching: NOV, OATH, SWO, CO, TCO, permit, boiler, summons.
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Showing 163 of 163 entries
- ACM – (Asbestos Containing Materials)
- ACP-5 – Form which certifies that a property is free from asbestos-containing materials
- ACRIS – (Automated City Register Information System)
- ADU – (Ancillary/Accessory Dwelling Unit) is a self-contained secondary housing unit on the same lot as a one- or two-family house. Accessory Dwelling Unit; City of Yes program for adding a small secondary home on the same lot
- AEP – (Alternative Enforcement Program) – This is an HPD program for apartment buildings with extremely serious, repeated housing violations. If your building is placed in AEP, HPD can order emergency repairs, charge heavy fees, and pressure the owner to correct all hazardous conditions quickly.
- AEU2/ AEU20/ AEU3321 – FORM used by DOB: AEU2 is the basic Certificate of Correction affidavit, (Certificate of Correction form is not used today). AEU20 is the Statement in Support, and AEU3321 is a combined form created for a specific kind of DOB summons. The AEU3321 is used for site safety training summonses under Building Code Sections 3321.1 and 3321.2.1.Certificate of Correction form (not used today)
- AEUHAZ – underlying Class 1 immediately hazardous summons issued at a construction site.
- AHERA – (Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act). A federal law that mainly covers how schools and certain public or commercial buildings handle asbestos. It usually does not apply directly to typical one‑ or two‑family NYC homes, but asbestos rules can still apply under other laws if you renovate or disturb old materials.
- AHW – (After-hours work)
- ALT-1 – (Alteration Type 1) is a major alteration that changes the building’s use, egress, or occupancy and requires a new or amended Certificate of Occupancy.
- ALT-2 – (Alteration Type 2) is an alteration that does not change the use, egress, or occupancy of the building and does not require a new or amended Certificate of Occupancy
- ALT-3 – (Alteration Type 3) A minor alteration that involves only one simple type of work (for example, a small curb cut, limited façade repair, or a temporary fence) and does not change the use, egress, or occupancy of an existing building.
- Approval – It usually means that the Department of Buildings has reviewed the filing, found no unresolved objections, and allowed the application or permit to move forward. in simple words approval is the stage when the NYC Department of Buildings reviews a filing or plan and accepts it as compliant enough to move forward.
- AR299 – Form AR-299 is used to register large boilers with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). If your building boiler is bigger than a certain size, you must file this form and renew it before it expires.
- Attestation – Attestation is a formal statement that the information in a filing is true, correct, or complete to the best of the filer’s knowledge.
- Attic – Attic renovations in NYC require careful planning due to strict building codes.
- B – Boiler
- B101 – It is a formal DOB violation code for doing construction or alteration work without a required permit. It is classified as an immediately hazardous “Class 1” condition.
- B201 – Work without a permit, Class 2.
- B301 – Work without a permit, Class 3.
- Basement – It is not a cellar.
- BBL – Borough, Block, Lot - a 10-digit identifier provided by the Department of Finance to identify a tax lot that contains one or more buildings in NYC.
- BDM – Boiler
- BIN – Building Identification Number - Every building in NYC is assigned a unique 7-digit BIN by the Department of Buildings. It is used to track all DOB records for that building.
- BIS – Buildings Information System - the NYC Department of Buildings free online tool where any homeowner can check details on their property without signing up.
- BMD – Boiler
- BO13 – Boiler Inspection Defect Report and Affirmation of Correction Form
- Boiler – Generic term. A boiler is the heating equipment in a building that makes hot water or steam. In New York City, boiler use and maintenance are tied to city rules, inspections, permits, and filing requirements.
- Boiler Registration – A required filing with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to report and register certain boilers used in buildings.
- Boiler Violation codes – Boiler violation codes are official city code numbers or labels used by NYC agencies to identify boiler-related problems, missing filings, unsafe conditions, or required corrections.
- BSIU – Buildings Special Investigations Unit
- C – Construction
- CATS – (Clean Air Tracking System) - The online portal for submitting boiler registrations, renewals, and related air permit actions. Description: Clean Air Tracking System. An online system used by the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to manage air-related permits and registrations, especially for boilers.
- CCD1 – Construction Code Determination
- CDE – Code and Zoning Determination - at NYC DOB, a formal way for a building owner or professional to ask DOB to give a written yes-or-no answer about whether a proposed project is allowed by the rules.
- Cellar – It is an enclosed space having more than one‑half of its height below curb level. Usually, if a cellar has any windows, the windows are too small and too high for an adult to use as an emergency exit.
- Certificate of Correction – It is a document that shows a city agency that the problem listed on a violation has been fully fixed and checked. It is required to officially close many types of violations, including those from the Department of Buildings, so they stop causing extra penalties or problems.
- Certificate of Occupancy – A Certificate of Occupancy (CO) is an official document issued by the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) that certifies a building or structure is safe to occupy and that it complies with all applicable building codes, zoning regulations, and laws. It confirms the legal use and occupancy type of a building or portion of a building.
- Civil penalties – A civil penalty is a money fine issued by a government agency (such as NYC DOB or HPD) for violating a building code, zoning rule, or local law. Civil penalties are separate from criminal charges. They are paid to the city — not to a court — and must be paid before a violation can be closed. The amount depends on the class of violation, the type of building, and whether the offense is a repeat.
- Class A – Non-Hazardous Violations
- Class B – Hazardous Violations
- Class C – Immediately Hazardous Violations
- CO – (Certificate of Occupancy). - Legally confirms that the property meets all local building codes and verifies that the building is safe to occupy and is being used for its approved purpose.
- CoC – Certificate of Competence
- DCAS – (Department of Citywide Administrative Services) - a key city agency that supports other government departments.
- DCVA – Double-check valve assembly - A type of backflow prevention device used to stop contaminated water from flowing back into the city water supply.
- DCWP – (Department of Consumer and Worker Protection)
- Deed – A deed is a written legal document that transfers ownership of real property from one person or entity to another. The New York City Bar explains that the person giving the property is the grantor, and the person receiving it is the grantee.
- DEP – (Department of Environmental Protection). It is the city agency responsible for water, wastewater, sewer-related systems, and several environmental rules in NYC.
- DEP Triennial – Every three years - boiler registration and inspection renewal required by the NYC DEP for certain boilers, ensuring compliance with clean air regulations.
- DHCR – Division of Housing and Community Renewal
- Directive 14 – This rule allowes certain professionals to approve their own building applications without waiting for a full review by the Department of Buildings (DOB).
- DIY – Do It Yourself
- DOB – Department of Buildings - The city agency that enforces construction codes, zoning rules, and building safety standards across all five boroughs.
- DOB NOW – An online system created by the New York City Department Buildings to make it easier for homeowners and professionals to handle building permits, inspections, and other construction-related paperwork.
- DOF – NYC Department of Finance - handles property tax bills, tax classes, exemptions, and the ACRIS system for recording deeds and mortgages.
- DSNY – NYC Department of Sanitation. This is the city agency that handles trash, recycling, street cleaning, and some sanitation enforcement.
- Dwelling – A dwelling is a place where people live as their home. It’s any home space meant for living and sleeping, usually with a bathroom and often a kitchen. A dwelling unit just means one separate home inside a building – like one apartment in a multifamily house.
- E – Elevator
- EA – Earthwork
- EBC – means NYC (Existing Building Code). It is the set of rules that applies to work on buildings that already exist.
- ECB – (Environmental Control Board) - now OATH Hearings Division
- eCertification – in NYC DOB language usually refers to HPD eCertification, not a DOB permit-filing program. It is an online way for validly registered property owners or managing agents to certify HPD violations, and the property registration must be current.
- eFiling – An online system from the NYC Department of Buildings that lets you submit applications and paperwork without going to a DOB office in person.
- EHS – Environmental Health and Safety - rules, departments, and programs that protect people and the environment from hazards in buildings, workplaces, and housing.
- EIFS – An engineered insulated exterior wall system built to control energy transfer and manage incidental moisture through a drainage layer.
- EIT – Elevator Safety Test
- Elevator inspection – Elevator inspection is the official check of an elevator to make sure it is safe and working properly. Elevator safety and elevator violations can be another meaning of the term "elevator"
- ERP – Emergency Repair Program lien is a city tax lien on a building for the cost of emergency repairs made by HPD when the owner did not fix serious violations on time.
- ES – Electric Sign
- EWO – Emergency Work Order - in NYC Department of Buildings context.
- FC 1027 – It is the Fire Code rule about means of egress. It requires exits, exit access, and exit discharge areas to stay open, clear, and usable in an emergency.
- FDNY – The Fire Department of the City of New York - Its primary mission is to provide fire protection, emergency medical care, fire prevention, and other critical public safety services.
- FHA – (Federal Housing Administration). A U.S. government agency that insures some home mortgages; its rules sometimes affect NYC homeowners and lenders.
- FISP – (Facade Inspection and Safety Program). It is the NYC program that requires certain buildings to have their exterior walls and facade inspected on a regular schedule.
- FMRD – Facility Maintenance and Repair Division
- FO – Foundation
- FOIL – (Freedom of Information Law) - It is the law that lets the public request records from NYC or New York State government agencies, including the Department of Buildings.
- FTF-PL-PER – Failure to File a Periodic Plumbing Inspection report
- GC – General Contractor. A contractor licensed or registered with DOB who manages construction work
- GPS2 – NYC DOB form certifying for a building that does not have gas service or any gas piping.
- Habitability – Habitability means that a home (apartment, house, or rental unit) is safe, clean, and fit for people to live in. A place is habitable when it has working heat, hot water, proper plumbing, no dangerous conditions such as mold or pests, and meets the basic standards set by law. In New York State, every landlord must keep a rental unit habitable at all times. This legal requirement is called the Warranty of Habitability (New York Real Property Law §235-b).
- HBLVIO – means boiler violation. It is a violation related to a boiler that is not safe, not properly maintained, or not in compliance with required rules.
- HHW – (Household Hazardous Waste). Leftover paints, solvents, chemicals, and similar home materials that must be thrown away at special collection sites, not in normal trash.
- HPD – (NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development) - is the largest municipal housing agency in the United States, responsible for enforcing the NYC Housing Maintenance Code, developing affordable housing, and protecting tenants' rights.
- HVAC – Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
- IBC – International Building Code
- LAA – means (Limited Alteration Application). It is a DOB filing for small, limited work on some building systems, not for major construction.
- LBLVIO – Boiler Violations (LBLVIO / HBLVIO)
- LL5 – Local Law 5 of 1973 is a New York City fire safety law. It requires certain buildings to have fire safety plans, fire drills, and other fire protection measures.
- LL10/80 – Local Law 10 of 1980 - Facade: Borough Office
- LL10/81 – Local Law 10 of 1981 - Elevator Safety Test
- LL11/98 – Local Law 11 of 1998 - Facade
- LL16/84 – Local Law 16 of 1984 - Fire Safety
- LL58 – Local Law 58 of 1988 - penalties for work without a permit
- LL62/91 – Local Law 62 of 1991 [Boiler]
- LL126 – Requires annual visual observations of parapet walls on nearly every building in the five boroughs.
- LL152 – Gas Piping Inspection
- LL 157 – Local Law 157 of 2016 is a New York City law that requires natural gas detecting devices to be installed in most residential buildings with gas service, with detailed rules on where and how these alarms must be installed.
- LL157 – Natural gas detectors requirement
- LLA – Limited Alteration Application - a simple DOB filing used for small plumbing, fire-sprinkler, and oil-burner jobs that are repairs or replacements, not major construction.
- LMP – Licensed Master Plumber
- LNO – Letter of No Objection
- LOC – Letter of Completion
- LPC – Landmarks Preservation Commission
- MDL – Multiple Dwelling Law
- MDV – Multiple Dwelling Violation
- Mitigation procedure – A mitigation procedure is a process used to reduce a problem, risk, or possible loss. In housing or court matters, it often means taking steps to lower damage, avoid foreclosure, or reach a solution before the problem gets worse.
- NB – New Building - a brief meaning in DOB context.
- NBBE – New Building with existing building elements to remain
- NFPA – National Fire Protection Association - the organization that publishes safety codes and standards used for fuel gas, flammable gases, and related fire protection issues.
- NHS – Neighborhood Housing Services - a non-profit organization helping Brooklyn residents with housing issues.
- NOV – (Notice of Violation) It is an official document sent by a New York City agency to tell a property owner that something on their property may not follow local laws, rules, or safety codes. It usually describes the problem, gives basic instructions or deadlines to fix it, and may lead to hearings and financial penalties if it is ignored.
- NRF – No Report Filed
- NYC – New York City
- NYC.ID – NYC.ID is the email-and-password account you need to sign in to DOB online services.
- NYCDOC – New York City Department of Correction
- NYCHA – New York City Housing Authority
- OATH – The Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings - an independent NYC city court for agency violation tickets (like DOB), not a criminal court.
- OP128 – Ordinary Plumbing Work Report. This is a form used by Licensed Master Plumbers to report certain minor plumbing work that does not need a DOB permit.
- OSHA – Occupational Safety and Health Administration – a federal agency that sets and enforces workplace safety and health standards. OSHA can inspect construction sites and workplaces in NYC and issue citations for unsafe conditions.
- P – Plumbing
- PCA – Property Condition Assessment - Comprehensive evaluation of a building physical condition conducted by qualified professionals, including inspection of architectural and structural components.
- PE – (Professional Engineer). It is a licensed engineering professional who is allowed to design, review, and sign certain technical work in New York.
- PEO4 – Local Law 5 of 1973 Informational Checklist Form
- Precept – A special court order that allows the city agency HPD or sometimes the building owner to start full demolition.
- PVB – Pressure vacuum breaker - A backflow prevention device often used on irrigation or sprinkler systems.
- PW1 – Plan/work approval application
- PW2 – Work Permit Application (PW2). The DOB form used to request a work permit after a job application is approved.
- PW7* – NYC DOB form used to request a Letter of Completion for certain building jobs. This form tells the DOB that construction work is finished and ready for final review.*
- QEWI – Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector
- RA – (Registered Architect). A design professional licensed in New York State who can be the DOB filing applicant for many alteration and new building jobs.
- REBNY – Real Estate Board of New York
- RPIE – (Real Property Income and Expense). It is an annual report that some NYC property owners must file with the Department of Finance to show income and expenses for a property.
- RPZ – Reduced pressure zone backflow preventer - A more advanced backflow prevention device used where there is a higher risk of contamination.
- S – Sign
- SBS – Small Business Services
- SET – Special Enforcement Team at DOB - This unit focuses on illegal and unsafe construction, repeat offenders, and complicated enforcement cases.
- SRO – Single Room Occupancy - a type of low-cost housing in NYC where tenants rent individual furnished rooms, often without private kitchens or bathrooms.
- ST – Structural
- STIPULATION PROCEDURE – A stipulation procedure is the process of making a written agreement in a case, usually in Housing Court. The agreement explains what each side must do, and once it is signed or approved by the court, it can be binding.
- SWO – (Stop Work Order). It is an order that tells a person or contractor to stop work on a property right away.
- SWS – Sidewalk Walkway Sheds
- TCO – TCO stands for Temporary Certificate of Occupancy. It is a document issued by the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) that allows a building or portion of a building to be occupied on a temporary basis, while certain construction work or outstanding items are still being completed. A TCO has an expiration date and must be renewed until all required work is finished and a final Certificate of Occupancy (CO) can be issued.
- TPP – (Tenant Protection Plan) - It is a written safety plan that explains how tenants will be kept safe, healthy, and able to use their apartments while construction or renovation is happening in an occupied building.
- TR1 / TR2 / TR8 – NYC forms used for special inspections, progress inspections, and energy code progress inspections.
- UB/UB*/UB% – Un*safe Building Violation - DOB has designated part or all of the building as unsafe. UB* means Un*safe Building Violation dismissed. UB% – Precept issued for Un*safe Buildings Violation (court order related to an us*safe building). This is a legal emergency/ city can step in and do work at owner's expense.
- V/ V*/ V% – DOB Violation. V* means DOB Violation Dismissed. V% means precept issued for U*nsafe Building Violation
- VA – usually means Variance in NYC DOB publications. A variance is an official exception that allows work or a building condition to differ from the normal rule.
- VAC/ VAC* – VAC = Vacate. VAC* means Vacate Dismissed.
- VCLOS/ VCLOS* – VCLOS = Order of Closure (padlock order). VCLOS* means Order of Closure Dismissed.
- VECW – Violation Work without Permit Elevator
- VEW – Violation Work without Permit Elevator. VEW* means Violation Work without Permit Elevator Dismissed.
- VEWL – Violation Work without Permit Elevator Lien
- VH – Violation Hazardous. VH* means Violation Hazardous Dismissed.
- VPW – Violation Pending - Work Without a Permit. VPW* means dismissed.
- VWH – Violation - Work Without a Permit Hazardous. VWH* means dismissed.
- VWL – Violation Work without Permit Elevator Lien. VWL* means dismissed.
- VWP – Work Without a Permit. DOB internal violation code used in BIS/DOB NOW. Often called “WWP” (Work Without a Permit) in forms and guides.
- WWP – (Work Without a Permit) – A violation DOB issues when required permits were not obtained before construction work.
- XRF – (X‑Ray Fluorescence) lead paint test. A machine test used by certified inspectors to detect lead in paint without damaging surfaces.
- ZD1 – Zoning Diagram form. Shows zoning bulk, yards, and building height for a project; required for many New Building and enlargement filings.
- ZV – Zoning Violation. ZV* means Zoning Violation Dismissed.
Common NYC homeowner topics
DOB violations
Permits
Stop work orders
Boilers
Gas piping
Inspections