Live Safely - Buildings

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Gas Cut Off

Elevator Issues

Safe Construction

Maintaining Services


Live Safely

There are some conditions in your home that may endanger you or your family. Please review these important safety tips and make sure your apartment is safe. You can file a complaint with the appropriate City Agency by calling 311 or using 311 ONLINE.

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors – New York City law requires the installation and maintenance of smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. Both property owners and tenants have responsibilities to ensure that all New Yorkers remain safe in their homes from the dangers of fire and carbon monoxide poisoning (carbon monoxide is an odorless and highly toxic gas). Learn more.

Basements and Cellars - Basements and cellars are very different spaces and have different legal uses. A basement is a story of a building partly below curb level but with at least one-half of its height above the curb level. A cellar 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 for an adult to fit through. Learn more.

Lead-Based Paint – Lead is a harmful metal often found in old paint that can be poisonous for young children if it creates dust or paint chips. Young children can swallow the lead paint dust and chips from windowsills and floors. Lead causes behavior and learning problems in young children. While lead-based paint was banned in New York City in 1960, older buildings may still contain it. Property owners of these buildings are responsible for keeping tenants safe from lead-based paint hazards. Learn more.

Window Guards – Local Law 57 requires property owners to provide and properly install approved window guards on all windows, including first floor bathrooms and windows leading onto a balcony or terrace in an apartment where a child 10 years of age or younger resides and in each common area window, if any, in such buildings. Learn more.

Find more information on Important Health and Safety Issues by visiting the NYC Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) site.

Additional Resources

Looking to Rent

Know Your Rights

Illegal Conversions

Safe Construction

ABCs of Housing (HPD)

Construction Advisories