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Searching supported NYC public sources…

Cadence and coverage vary by source

01 Property record

Pull the public recordfor an NYC address.

One address, checked across the supported city sources. Free preview. No account. Lookup does not start monitoring.

Select the address from the suggestions, then search. Preview is free; the $29 report and monitoring are separate.

Public NYC records from supported sources. Coverage and refresh cadence vary by source. 311 matching may include nearby locations. Stop Work Orders are shown separately from other DOB violations. DOBGuard is not affiliated with NYC DOB.

What this NYC building lookup does

One address. 12 public sources. One preview.

DOBGuard's address lookup is a free utility that checks one NYC street address across supported public sources — Department of Buildings (DOB) violations, Environmental Control Board (ECB) fines, Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) housing violations, FDNY fire-code records, DOT sidewalk violations, DSNY sanitation summonses, 311 complaints, building permits, DOB complaints, stop work orders, Certificates of Occupancy, and HPD Multiple Dwelling Registration status. Instead of opening each city website separately, you type a house number, street, and borough once and get a consolidated preview.

Each search returns record IDs, open/closed status flags, and a count per source. Full unredacted details, penalty totals, hearing dates, and deeper history are in the $29 report or the monitoring subscription.

What you can check by address

  1. 01 DOB DOB Violations Open and historical DOB violations tied to the building, including violation type and current status.
  2. 02 ECB ECB/OATH Violations ECB / OATH fines issued at the address, with hearing context where available.
  3. 03 HPD HPD Violations HPD housing violations by class (A / B / C) including rent-impairing flags.
  4. 04 FDNY FDNY Violations FDNY fire-safety records surfaced via OATH hearings.
  5. 05 DSNY DSNY Sanitation Violations DSNY sanitation summonses adjudicated via OATH hearings.
  6. 06 311 311 Complaints 311 complaints filed against the building (noise, conditions, safety).
  7. 07 Permits Building Permits DOB-issued building permits with status and work descriptions.
  8. 08 Complaints DOB Complaints DOB complaints filed about the address, with inspection categorization.
  9. 09 DOT DOT Violations DOT sidewalk violations including trip hazards and required repairs.
  10. 10 SWO Stop Work Orders Stop work orders currently or historically blocking construction at the site.
  11. 11 CofO Certificate of Occupancy Certificate of Occupancy lookup to confirm legal use, occupancy classification, and Final vs. Temporary status.
  12. 12 MDR HPD Multiple Dwelling Registration Multiple Dwelling Registration lookup to check whether HPD registration is current or lapsed.

Reading the record

Why one address hits several systems.

DOB BIS, DOB NOW, and overlapping agencies

NYC operates two main DOB record systems: the legacy BIS (Buildings Information System), which holds full historical permits, violations and complaints from 1985–2020, and the modern DOB NOW platform, which holds new filings from 2018 forward. A single building can carry records in both systems plus separate datasets at HPD, FDNY, ECB and 311. That fragmentation is exactly why a one-address lookup is useful: you don't have to remember which agency or which system to check first. See DOB NOW vs BIS and how to look up NYC building violations by address.

What you get from a search

Each search returns a free preview of the records found at the address — record IDs, status flags (open vs. closed), and a count per agency. Full unredacted record details, penalty exposure totals, hearing dates and historical context are reserved for the downloadable building report (one-time purchase) or for the ongoing monitoring subscription. This keeps the address lookup itself free for anyone doing due diligence on a single property.

When to use this vs. a per-agency lookup

Use this lookup when you want a fast, complete picture of one building. If you already know which agency you care about, the dedicated tools go deeper per agency. For multi-property portfolios or recurring monitoring, a monitoring subscription watches enrolled properties on an ongoing basis. Email is included on every plan; SMS is on Pro and Enterprise. Cadence varies by source. Lookup does not enroll the property.

Tip: Use the building's primary street address as filed with the city. Side-entrance addresses, campus addresses or split-lot buildings can store records under a different primary number. If the first search comes back empty, try the building's main numbered entrance.

Three layers. Three products.

Lookup. Report. Monitor.

  1. 01

    Lookup Free · this page

    Public record preview for one address: record IDs, status, and a count per source.

    Search above
  2. 02

    Report $29 · one time

    Complete historical record for one building from supported public sources, as a PDF. Bought from results. No subscription.

    Search a building first
  3. 03

    Monitor Subscription · separate

    DOBGuard keeps watching enrolled properties and alerts you when something new posts. Lookup does not start monitoring.

    Start monitoring

Need help addressing a violation? Filing coordination is quoted separately.