Do this today
- Write the problem. Date it. Keep photos.
- Open a request with NYC HPD — Tenant Bill of Rights or dial 311.
- Do not skip rent until legal aid has read the process for your state.
Who inspects a New York City rental?
NYC HPD — Tenant Bill of Rights is the local conditions door, and 311 is often how you open a request. An inspector’s dated notice is a different kind of paper than a text to the manager. HPD handles conditions. HCR handles whether a unit is rent-regulated. Housing Court handles possession. 311 is how you open a City service request. Those four are not interchangeable.
Can I stop paying rent to force the repair?
Sometimes New York law provides a repair-and-deduct or rent-withholding process, and sometimes skipping rent is grounds for eviction. That line is in New York landlord-tenant and summary-proceeding statutes. Ask legal aid before you change what you pay.
Who do I call in NYC — 311, HPD, HCR, or Housing Court?
They are four different doors. 311 opens a City service request. HPD inspects housing conditions. HCR answers whether a unit is rent-regulated. Housing Court hears possession cases. Calling the wrong one wastes the day you may not have. Match the paper in your hand to the door.
Can my NYC landlord charge a broker fee?
New York City has additional rules on how broker fees may be charged, and they change. Confirm the current rule on the HPD Tenant Bill of Rights or with legal aid — this desk does not reprint a fee split. Keep every invoice. A fee you already paid is a paper trail, not a closed case.
The New York City layer
HPD handles conditions. HCR handles whether a unit is rent-regulated. Housing Court handles possession. 311 is how you open a City service request. Those four are not interchangeable.
New York landlord-tenant and summary-proceeding statutes (N.Y. Real Prop. Law Art. 7; Real Prop. Acts. and Proc. Law) is the New York floor. We name it. We do not paraphrase a day-count or a dollar cap out of it.
New York City questions
My landlord in New York City will not make repairs — what can I do?
Put it in writing. Keep photos. File with NYC HPD — Tenant Bill of Rights or dial 311. Do not skip rent until legal aid has read New York landlord-tenant and summary-proceeding statutes with you.
Is 311 enough?
311 opens a City request. It is not a court case and it is not legal aid. Keep the request number. If the unit is dangerous tonight, 911 or the utility first.
Who do I call in NYC — 311, HPD, HCR, or Housing Court?
They are four different doors. 311 opens a City service request. HPD inspects housing conditions. HCR answers whether a unit is rent-regulated. Housing Court hears possession cases. Calling the wrong one wastes the day you may not have. Match the paper in your hand to the door.
Can my NYC landlord charge a broker fee?
New York City has additional rules on how broker fees may be charged, and they change. Confirm the current rule on the HPD Tenant Bill of Rights or with legal aid — this desk does not reprint a fee split. Keep every invoice. A fee you already paid is a paper trail, not a closed case.
What number should I call in New York City?
Danger: 911. Mental-health crisis: 988. City services: 311. Court papers: LawHelp.org the same day. NYC HPD — Tenant Bill of Rights does not replace legal aid when a case is filed.
National answers on this desk
Last reviewed 8 September 2026. Legal information, not legal advice. Not a law firm. hello@renterprotection.org