Code: Order To Repair/Vacate Order (HPD repair and vacate order)
Description: An Order to Repair/Vacate Order is an HPD order that requires an owner to correct dangerous housing conditions and requires occupants to leave a residential unit or building that is uninhabitable. HPD issues it when conditions such as lack of essential services, lack of proper egress, fire damage, or other serious maintenance problems make the property unsafe to live in.
Practical Meaning: If your property receives this order, tenants may have to leave immediately, and you must correct the listed conditions before the unit or building can be lawfully occupied again. After the work is complete, the owner must apply to HPD for a Dismissal Request inspection, and there is a fee for that inspection.
Where You May See It: You may see this order posted on the entrance door of the building or unit, in HPD Online records, in mailed HPD notices, and in County Clerk filings. It may also come up when tenants contact HPD, when relocation services are discussed, or when an owner checks enforcement history for a building.
Why It Matters: This order can force a temporary loss of occupancy, trigger relocation issues, and lead to penalties if the owner removes the notice, fails to correct the conditions, or allows re-occupancy before HPD dismisses the order. HPD states that re-occupying a vacated unit before dismissal can lead to civil penalties of no less than $5,000 for each re-occupied unit.
Source: More about HPD vacate orders