Frequently Asked Questions

DOBGuard is an automated compliance intelligence system that continuously monitors enforcement actions and regulatory escalations across NYC agencies and alerts you when new violations, complaints, permits, or enforcement actions appear for your properties.

Think of it as a 24/7 watchdog: instead of manually checking multiple NYC agency websites every day, DOBGuard aggregates enforcement signals from multiple city agencies and notifies you within minutes of any changes.

What it does: Monitors citywide enforcement intelligence, detects new violations, sends real-time alerts via email and text messages with intelligent routing, provides compliance history, and flags high-risk issues.

What it doesn't do: DOBGuard does not file paperwork, represent you at hearings, perform repairs, or provide legal advice. It's a notification and monitoring tool, not a resolution service.

Free DOB lookup tools (like DOB BIS or NYC Open Data portals) are manual search tools—you check them when you remember, and they show whatever violations exist at that moment.

DOBGuard is proactive and automatic:

• Continuous monitoring: Checks your properties automatically, not just when you log in
• Real-time alerts: Notifies you within 1 hour of new violations appearing
• Multi-channel delivery: Email and text messages with intelligent routing (detailed info via email, urgent alerts via text)
• Comprehensive coverage: Monitors building safety, housing code enforcement, environmental enforcement, legal proceedings, and permit activity
• Risk prioritization: Intelligent Risk Scoring™ tells you which issues need immediate action vs. routine follow-up

Lookup tools are reactive. DOBGuard is proactive surveillance designed to catch issues before fines escalate or compliance deadlines pass.

No. DOBGuard is strictly a monitoring and notification system. We do not:

• File violation responses or cure affidavits
• Represent you at OATH hearings or in housing court
• Provide legal advice or interpretations of building code
• Serve as an expeditor, architect, or engineer
• Coordinate repairs or contractor work

When a violation appears, DOBGuard alerts you with all relevant details (violation type, agency, severity, deadlines) and points you to NYC's official records. You or your expeditor/attorney handle the resolution.

Think of DOBGuard as an early warning system—we tell you when there's a fire, but you call the fire department.

DOBGuard monitors comprehensive enforcement and regulatory signals across multiple NYC agencies:

• DOB Violations (Department of Buildings structural/zoning violations)
• DOB Safety Violations (Immediate hazard & critical safety issues including fire safety equipment)
• ECB Violations (Environmental Control Board quality-of-life citations)
• HPD Housing Code Violations (Housing Preservation & Development habitability issues)
• DOB Complaints (311 complaints filed against your property)
• Stop Work Orders (Active construction halts)
• Building Permits (New/modified permits including fire safety system work)
• Certificate of Occupancy (CO changes or new issuances)
• OATH Hearings (Scheduled violation hearings & trial dates)
• HPD Litigation (Housing court cases naming your property)
• HPD Alternative Enforcement Program (AEP) (Properties under enhanced HPD enforcement)

All data comes from official NYC Open Data APIs and agency databases, including comprehensive fire safety compliance tracking through DOB Safety Violations and permit activity. We check every dataset for your properties continuously and alert you when changes appear.

DOBGuard connects directly to NYC Open Data APIs and official agency databases through authorized public endpoints. All violation data is already public—we just monitor it continuously on your behalf.

Data sources we use:

• NYC Open Data Socrata API (primary source for most datasets)
• DOB BIS (Building Information System) web portal
• HPD Violation Database
• OATH Hearing Calendar
• ECB Violations & Decisions portal
• DOB NOW permit tracking system

Our system runs automated scans every hour, compares new data to baseline records for your properties, and triggers alerts when changes are detected. We maintain 99.9% uptime and monitor API health to ensure reliable detection.

DOBGuard runs automated scans every 60 minutes (24 times per day) across all 11 monitored datasets. This means you're notified within 1 hour of a new violation appearing in NYC's systems.

What happens during each scan:

• System queries all 11 NYC datasets for your property addresses
• Compares current data to your baseline (last known state)
• Detects new violations, complaints, permits, or status changes
• Applies Intelligent Risk Scoring™ to prioritize critical issues
• Triggers alerts via your configured channels (email and text messages with intelligent routing)

Important: DOBGuard can only detect violations after NYC posts them to their databases. If an inspector issues a paper citation on-site, it won't appear in our system until the agency digitizes it (usually 24-72 hours).

When you first add a property, DOBGuard runs a 1-year historical backfill to establish your baseline compliance status.

Here's how it works:

• Step 1 - Quick Sync (30 days): Within minutes of adding your property, we pull the most recent 30 days of violations across all 11 datasets. This gives you immediate visibility into current issues.
• Step 2 - Historical Backfill (1 year): Over the next 2-24 hours, our system asynchronously loads the full 365-day violation history. You'll see progress updates in your dashboard.
• Step 3 - Ongoing Monitoring: After backfill completes, DOBGuard switches to hourly scans for new violations

What gets loaded: All currently active violations within the past year,plus recently resolved violations (past 90 days) for reference. Violations older than 1 year that are already dismissed/paid are not loaded to keep your dashboard focused.

No. DOBGuard is designed to show only active violations and current compliance issues that require your attention. We automatically filter out:

• Paid violations with zero balance
• Dismissed violations (no longer enforceable)
• Resolved violations older than 90 days

Exception: Recently resolved violations (within the past 90 days) are displayed with a "Resolved" badge. This helps you:

• Verify your corrective action was properly recorded by the agency
• Provide proof of compliance to auditors, buyers, or lenders
• Track how long it took to resolve

Why this matters: If you see a violation in your DOBGuard dashboard, it means it requires action NOW or was just recently resolved. No noise, no clutter.

When you add a property, DOBGuard runs a 3-step process with real-time progress updates:

Mobile-First Design: The entire process is designed for property managers on-the-go. Clear loading states, dismissable progress banners, and no page reloads required.

Yes! We comprehensively monitor fire safety compliance through multiple NYC datasets. While we don't have direct access to FDNY's internal systems, we track all fire safety violations, equipment inspections, and compliance issues reported through DOB Safety Violations, building permits, and related enforcement actions.

Fire safety issues we monitor include:

• Fire Alarm System Violations – Defective, missing, or non-compliant fire alarm systems
• Sprinkler System Deficiencies – Inoperative or improperly maintained sprinkler systems
• Fire Suppression Equipment – Issues with fire suppression systems and equipment
• Standpipe Systems – Standpipe violations and maintenance failures
• Emergency Lighting & Exit Signs – Non-compliant or inoperative emergency systems
• Fire Escape Violations – Blocked, damaged, or non-compliant fire escapes
• Elevator Fire Safety – Fire compliance issues with elevator systems

All fire safety violations are captured through our monitoring of DOB Safety Violations (device-specific violations) and construction permits for fire safety system work.

We track fire safety compliance through three primary data sources:

1. DOB Safety Violations Database – Contains device-specific violations including fire alarms, sprinklers, standpipes, and other fire safety equipment. Each violation includes the device type, issue date, violation status, and specific equipment affected.
2. DOB Job Application Filings – Tracks all construction permits for fire safety work including fire alarm installations, sprinkler system upgrades, fire suppression equipment, and emergency lighting projects. We monitor when permits are filed, approved, and completed.
3. DOB Violations (General) – Captures building code violations related to fire escapes, emergency egress, fire-rated assemblies, and other structural fire safety requirements.

By monitoring these datasets comprehensively, we catch fire safety issues from multiple enforcement angles—whether they originate from inspections, permit work, or complaint-driven enforcement.

Fire safety violations are monitored with the same real-time frequency as all other violations:

• Hourly Automated Scans – Our system checks DOB Safety Violations every hour for new fire alarm, sprinkler, or fire suppression equipment violations
• Immediate Alerts – When a fire safety violation is detected, you receive an email and/or text alert (depending on your plan) within minutes
• Critical Prioritization – Fire safety violations are automatically flagged as high-priority due to their potential life safety and legal liability implications

Example scenario: If DOB issues a fire alarm violation at your property during an inspection Tuesday at 2 PM, and NYC updates their database by 3 PM, our system will detect it during the next hourly scan (by 4 PM) and immediately send you an alert with full details including the device type, violation number, and required corrective actions.

Fire safety compliance is critical for tenant safety, insurance requirements, and avoiding significant fines—D.O.B. Guard ensures you never miss a fire safety issue.

Notification channels depend on your subscription plan:

• Starter Plan: Email + Text alerts (real-time delivery)
• Pro Plan: Email + Text message alerts with intelligent routing (multi-channel, real-time)
• Enterprise Plan: All alert types + priority delivery with SLA guarantee

Every alert includes:

• Property address and BIN number
• Violation type, issuing agency, and violation number
• Risk severity level (Critical/High/Medium/Low)
• Response deadline and cure period (if applicable)
• Direct link to official NYC records
• Recommended next steps

Our Intelligent Risk Scoring™ system prioritizes critical issues (Stop Work Orders, HPD Class C violations, etc.) so you know what needs immediate action.

Notification methods depend on your plan:

• Starter Plan: Email + Text alerts (real-time)
• Pro Plan: Email + Text message alerts with intelligent routing (multi-channel, real-time)
• Enterprise Plan: All alert types + priority delivery with SLA guarantee

Every alert includes comprehensive details: property address, violation type, issuing agency, severity level, recommended next steps, and direct links to official NYC records. Our intelligent routing system delivers detailed information via email and urgent notifications via text message.

Intelligent Risk Scoring™ is our proprietary technology that analyzes every violation and assigns a priority level based on:

• Potential fine amounts ($5K, $10K, $50K+)
• Response deadlines and cure periods
• Whether violations can lead to Stop Work Orders
• Historical patterns of escalation
• Impact on Certificate of Occupancy

This means you're not overwhelmed with noise—you see at a glance which issues need immediate attention versus those that can be scheduled for routine maintenance. It's like having a compliance expert reviewing every alert for you.

Yes! In your dashboard's Alert Settings, you can configure notification preferences by:

• Violation type (DOB, HPD, ECB, etc.)
• Severity level (Critical, High, Medium, Low)
• Agency source
• Property (set different alerts for different buildings)

For example, you might choose text alerts for Stop Work Orders and critical DOB complaints, while receiving email for permit updates and routine violations.

Great news—no alerts means your property is in compliance! You can always verify monitoring is active by:

• Checking your dashboard's "Last Scan" timestamp (should be within the past hour)
• Reviewing your property's full history, which shows all past violations even if currently resolved
• Cross-referencing with NYC's public databases if desired

Many well-maintained properties go months without new violations. That's exactly what you want to see!

Absolutely! You can add additional recipients per property based on your plan:

• Starter: 1 recipient (account owner only)
• Pro: Up to 3 recipients per property
• Enterprise: Unlimited recipients per property

This is perfect for sharing alerts with building managers, maintenance teams, legal counsel, or compliance officers. Each recipient must opt in via text confirmation to comply with telecommunications regulations.

No. DOBGuard automatically filters to show only active violations and compliance issues that need your attention. We exclude dismissed, paid, and resolved violations from your dashboard to reduce noise and help you focus on current problems.

Exception: Recently resolved violations (within the past 90 days) are displayed for reference. This helps you:

• Verify your fix was properly recorded
• Provide proof of compliance to auditors or buyers
• Track resolution timelines

This smart filtering means if you see a violation on your dashboard, it's something that requires action now or was just recently resolved.

DOBGuard syncs 1 year (365 days) of violation data from all 11 NYC datasets when you first add a property. This comprehensive backfill ensures we capture:

• All currently active violations (regardless of age)
• Recent resolved violations (past 90 days)
• Pattern analysis for risk assessment

After initial sync, we check for new violations every 60 minutes to keep you updated in real-time. Historical violations older than 1 year that are already resolved are not pulled to keep your dashboard focused and actionable.

Penalty amounts are only available for 3 of our 11 datasets because NYC Open Data doesn't publish financial information for most violation types.

Penalty Data Available:

• ✅ ECB Violations (Environmental Control Board fines)
• ✅ OATH Hearings (penalties and balance due)
• ✅ HPD Litigation (court-ordered penalties)

No Penalty Data Available:

• ❌ DOB Violations
• ❌ DOB Safety Violations
• ❌ HPD Housing Code Violations
• ❌ DOB Complaints (311)
• ❌ Stop Work Orders
• ❌ Building Permits
• ❌ Certificate of Occupancy
• ❌ HPD Alternative Enforcement Program

To find penalty amounts for these violation types, check DOB NOW or contact the issuing agency directly. DOBGuard alerts you to the violation so you can take action—penalty research is the next step.

Available on Pro and Enterprise plans, Calendar Sync automatically adds OATH hearings and trial dates to your calendar app (Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple Calendar).

When D.O.B. Guard detects a scheduled hearing for your property, we generate a .ics file that you can download or subscribe to. This ensures you never miss a court date and can prepare evidence in advance. The calendar entry includes:

• Hearing date, time, and location
• Violation case number
• Property address
• Links to relevant documents

DOB NOW is NYC's online permitting system. D.O.B. Guard tracks real-time changes to your permits including:

• Status updates (filed, approved, rejected, expired)
• Scope changes or amendments
• New inspections scheduled
• Payment requirements

Our system performs diff tracking, meaning we compare permit versions and highlight exactly what changed, so you're not reading through entire documents to find updates.

HPD Litigation tracks when your property is named in housing court cases, including tenant complaints, HPD-initiated proceedings, or code enforcement actions. These can result in substantial fines or court-ordered repairs.

Alternative Enforcement Program (AEP) is HPD's aggressive program for properties with persistent violations. If your building enters AEP, you face:

• Enhanced inspection frequency
• Mandatory correction timelines
• Escalating daily fines for non-compliance
• Potential HPD emergency repairs (billed to owner)

D.O.B. Guard alerts you immediately if your property is placed in Litigation or AEP status so you can respond before fines accumulate.

We offer three transparent plans with monthly or annual billing:

💰 All paid plans save 20% with annual billing!

Yes! You can upgrade or downgrade at any time from your account dashboard. When you upgrade:

• Your new features activate immediately
• You're charged a prorated amount for the remainder of your billing cycle
• Your next bill reflects the new plan rate

When you downgrade:

• Your new plan takes effect at the start of your next billing cycle
• You retain full access to your current plan until then
• You'll receive a confirmation email with the downgrade date

The Enterprise plan includes up to 75 properties for $499.99/month (or $4,799/year with annual billing).

For portfolios larger than 75 properties, we offer custom enterprise solutions tailored to your specific needs. Contact our sales team to discuss volume pricing, custom features, and dedicated account management for large-scale deployments.

While we don't offer a traditional free trial, we do provide a no-questions-asked 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans. If you're not satisfied within your first 30 days, contact support for a full refund.

Additionally, you can test our system by:

• Using our free public property lookup tool on the homepage to see current violations
• Starting with the Starter plan ($7.99/month) to try basic email alerts
• Reviewing our alert sample on the homepage to see how notifications work

We accept all major credit and debit cards via our secure payment processor, Stripe:

• Visa
• Mastercard
• American Express
• Discover

All payment information is encrypted and stored securely by Stripe. D.O.B. Guard never stores your full card details. For Enterprise plans with 100+ properties, we can arrange ACH/wire payment—contact support for details.

Yes, you can cancel anytime with no penalties or cancellation fees. To cancel:

• Log in to your dashboard
• Navigate to Settings → Subscription
• Click "Cancel Subscription"

Your account remains active until the end of your current billing period. You'll continue to receive alerts through that date. If you change your mind, you can reactivate anytime before the period ends.

D.O.B. Guard connects to NYC Open Data APIs and official agency databases through authorized channels. All data is publicly available through NYC's transparency initiatives, but we aggregate and monitor it continuously so you don't have to check 13+ separate websites daily.

Our system uses:

• NYC Open Data Socrata API
• DOB BIS (Building Information System)
• HPD Violation & Litigation databases
• OATH hearing schedules
• D.O.B. complaint system
• Direct agency web scraping (when APIs unavailable)

We maintain 99.9% uptime and monitor API health to ensure you never miss an alert due to technical issues.

D.O.B. Guard is a notification service, not insurance or a guarantee. We monitor NYC databases continuously and alert you when violations appear. However, we cannot control:

• Delays in agencies posting violations to their systems
• Unannounced inspections that result in on-site violations
• Manual paper citations not yet digitized
• System outages at NYC agencies

While extremely rare, if a violation is posted to an NYC database and our system fails to detect it due to a bug or outage on our end, we'll work with you to understand what happened and improve our monitoring. However, D.O.B. Guard is not liable for fines or penalties—it's a tool to help you stay informed, not a replacement for your own due diligence.

Yes! All plans include the ability to:

• View your full violation history by property
• Filter by date range, agency, or violation type
• Export to CSV or PDF for record-keeping

Enterprise plans also include:

• Advanced compliance summary reports
• Portfolio-wide analytics (violations per borough, agency, time period)
• Trend analysis (are violations increasing or decreasing?)
• Scheduled email reports (daily/weekly/monthly summaries)

API access is coming soon for Enterprise plans. This will allow you to:

• Integrate violation alerts into your property management system (Yardi, Buildium, AppFolio, etc.)
• Build custom dashboards with D.O.B. Guard data
• Automate workflows (e.g., create work orders when violations are detected)
• Sync property portfolios programmatically

If you're interested in API access, contact us at support@dobguard.com to join the early access waitlist.

Absolutely. D.O.B. Guard takes data security seriously:

• Encryption: All data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256)
• Secure Authentication: Passwords are hashed using industry-standard bcrypt
• Payment Security: All payment data is processed via PCI-compliant Stripe—we never store card details
• Access Control: Only you can access your account; we never share property or contact info
• Privacy: We don't sell your data to third parties or use it for marketing beyond our own services

Read our full Privacy Policy for details.

We offer multiple support channels depending on your plan:

• All Plans: Email support at support@dobguard.com (response within 24 hours)
• Pro Plans: Priority email support (response within 12 hours)
• Enterprise Plans: Dedicated success manager + phone support + SLA guarantee (response within 2 hours for critical issues)

You can also access our knowledge base and submit tickets via the "Help" section in your dashboard.

D.O.B. Guard stands out in several key ways:

You absolutely can! NYC's databases are public. However, manually checking is:

• Time-consuming: You'd need to check 13+ different websites daily for each property
• Error-prone: It's easy to miss a violation or misunderstand its severity without context
• Reactive: By the time you manually check, hours or days may have passed—fines accrue daily
• Unscalable: If you manage 10+ properties, this becomes a part-time job

D.O.B. Guard automates this process, checks every hour, prioritizes critical issues, and alerts you instantly across email and text messages with intelligent routing. Think of it as hiring a 24/7 compliance assistant for $50/month (Pro plan). If one avoided $10K fine pays for 15+ years of monitoring, the ROI is clear.

The ROI is compelling. Consider typical NYC violation costs:

D.O.B. Guard Pro costs $600/year. Avoiding just one $10K fine pays for 16+ years of monitoring. Even a single delayed Stop Work Order saved can pay for decades of service.

Beyond fines, D.O.B. Guard saves you time (no daily website checks), reduces stress (automated monitoring), and protects your reputation (tenants appreciate proactive maintenance).

D.O.B. Guard is a monitoring and notification service—we alert you about violations and provide context to help you respond appropriately. We do not:

• File paperwork on your behalf
• Represent you at OATH hearings
• Perform physical repairs
• Act as an expeditor or legal counsel

However, our alerts include recommended next steps and links to relevant resources. For full-service violation removal, you'll need to hire an expeditor or attorney—but D.O.B. Guard ensures you know about issues early when they're easier and cheaper to resolve.

Stop Work Orders (SWOs) are the most critical violation type. D.O.B. Guard detects SWOs within 60 minutes of them appearing in DOB's system and immediately sends:

• Text alert (Pro/Enterprise): Provides SWO details with urgency flag
• Text alert (Pro/Enterprise): Urgent text notification
• Email alert (All plans): Detailed summary with links to DOB records

The alert includes:

• Reason for the SWO (e.g., unsafe conditions, work without permit)
• Specific property address and permit number
• Required actions to lift the order
• Estimated fines and daily penalties

You'll need to engage an expeditor or engineer to resolve the issue, but early notification via D.O.B. Guard minimizes project delays and lost revenue.

D.O.B. Guard monitors all complaints received by the Department of Buildings, which often trigger inspections and can lead to violations. We alert you when a complaint is filed for your property, giving you a heads-up that an inspector may visit.

Common D.O.B. complaint types we monitor:

• Illegal construction activity
• Unsafe structural conditions
• Elevator and boiler issues
• Construction without proper permits
• Façade and exterior hazards

Early awareness of complaints lets you address the issue before an inspection occurs and potential violations are issued.

Yes! Many investors and buyers use D.O.B. Guard during due diligence to:

• Review the property's full violation history
• Identify unresolved violations that could affect purchase price
• Check for Stop Work Orders or HPD Litigation
• Assess ongoing compliance risks

Simply add the property address to your account. You don't need to own the property to monitor it. After purchase, you can continue monitoring seamlessly.

Yes! Property managers can use a single D.O.B. Guard account to monitor multiple clients' properties. You can:

• Add properties from different owners to your portfolio
• Tag properties by owner or client name for organization
• Set different notification recipients for each property (e.g., forward alerts to the property owner)
• Export reports filtered by owner for billing or record-keeping

Choose the plan that matches your total property count (e.g., if managing 40 buildings across 5 clients, use Enterprise). Many property managers pass the cost through to clients as part of their management fee.