VIOLATION CODES – FOR NYC HOMEOWNERS2

Many NYC codes and agency terms are hard to understand. Use this glossary to understand violation codes, agency terms, and common abbreviations related to homes and property records. The entries are written in plain English to help homeowners, tenants, and ESL readers find answers faster.

The list below updates as you type. Open the closest match for a plain-English explanation.

The list below updates as you type. Open the closest match for a plain-English explanation.

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• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Attic – Attic renovations in NYC require careful planning due to strict building codes.
• B – Boiler
• B101 – Work without a permit, Class 1. (NYC Admin Code 28-105.1). DOB believes construction, plumbing, electrical, or other work was done without the required building permit.
• B201 – Work without a permit, Class 2.
• B301 – Work without a permit, Class 3.
• 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
• 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.
• 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.
• Certificate of Correction – In NYC is a document that a homeowner must file to officially prove that a violation cited by a city agency (such as the Department of Buildings, Housing Preservation and Development, Fire Department, or environmental regulations) has been properly corrected.
• 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 – NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
• 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.
• 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
• ECB – Environmental Control Board
• 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
• ERP – Emergency Repair Program lien
• ES – Electric Sign
• EWO – Emergency Work Order - in NYC Department of Buildings context.
• FC 1030 – Blocked Means of Egress (exits)
• 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
• FISP – The Facade Inspection and Safety Program
• FMRD – Facility Maintenance and Repair Division
• FO – Foundation
• FOIL – Freedom of Information Law - allows members of the public to request records from New York State or local government agencies.
• FTF-PL-PER – Failure to File a Periodic Plumbing Inspection report
• GC
• GPS2 – NYC DOB form certifying for a building that does not have gas service or any gas piping.
• HBLVIO – Boiler Violations
• HHW
• HPD – NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development
• HVAC – Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
• IBC – International Building Code
• LBLVIO – Boiler Violations (LBLVIO / HBLVIO)
• 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
• LL126 – Requires annual visual observations of <a href="https://iqarius.com/encyclopedia/parapet-wall/" target="_self" title="In building terms, it is a low wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, or balcony, which helps stop people from falling and keeps loose pieces of the roof from falling onto the sidewalk or street." class="encyclopedia">parapet wall</a>s on nearly every building in the five boroughs.
• LL152 – Gas Piping Inspection
• LL157 – Natural gas detectors requirement
• LL16/84 – Local Law 16 of 1984 - Fire Safety
• LL5 – Local Law 5 of 1973 - Fire Safety in Office Buildings
• LL58 – Local Law 58 of 1988 - penalties for work without a permit
• LL62/91 – Local Law 62 of 1991 [Boiler]
• 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
• 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) is an official document sent by a New York City agency— (DOB or others)—to inform a property owner that something on their property might not follow local building or safety codes.
• 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
• 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
• 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
• PW7 – Letter of Completion form
• QEWI – Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector
• RA
• REBNY – Real Estate Board of New York
• RPIE – Real Property Income and Expense
• 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
• SWO – Stop Work Order
• SWS – Sidewalk Walkway Sheds
• TPP – Tenant Protection Plan - a required NYC safety document that explains how a contractor and building owner will protect tenants during construction or renovation in an occupied building.
• 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
• 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
• WWP – ???
• XRF
• ZD1
• ZV – Zoning Violation. ZV* means Zoning Violation Dismissed.

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