{"id":3455,"date":"2017-01-11T11:00:43","date_gmt":"2017-01-11T16:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/multi.nycnewsnetwork.com\/nyforseniors\/?p=3455"},"modified":"2017-01-10T11:57:47","modified_gmt":"2017-01-10T16:57:47","slug":"tenant-rights-how-to-file-a-complaint","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nycnewsnetwork.com\/nyforseniors\/tenant-rights-how-to-file-a-complaint\/","title":{"rendered":"Tenant Rights: How to File a Complaint"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Housing Complaints<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Housing Preservation and Development NYC Program allows for tenants to file complaints against neglectful landlords. When a landlord fails to provide basic services for tenants, then the tenant is justified in filing a complaint. These issues can include, but are not limited to:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heat and hot water violations (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nycnewsnetwork.com\/nyforseniors\/featured-news\/know-your-tenant-rights-heat\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">check out our heat violations article here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use of lead-based paint <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Broken or no window guards<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Broken or no carbon monoxide and smoke detectors<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pests and bedbugs <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mold<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Illegal Basement and Cellar Conversions<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a tenant&#8217;s landlord neglects or refuses to provide or fix any basic services, then the HPD can issue violations, administer emergency repairs, or move to Housing Court. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Filing a Complaint <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before filing a complaint, tenants should always contact their landlord to try to resolve the issue. Only if the landlord does not respond or refuses to resolve the issue should tenants file a complaint. \u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tenants can file a complaint by: <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calling 311 or TTY (212) 504-4115<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using the 311 website (<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www1.nyc.gov\/311\/index.page\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">311ONLINE<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using the 311 mobile app (<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www1.nyc.gov\/nyc-resources\/service\/5460\/nyc311-mobile-app\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">311MOBILE<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once the complaint is finalized, tenants will receive a service request number, which will allow them to check the status of their complaint through either <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www1.nyc.gov\/311\/index.page\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">311ONLINE<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/hpdonline.hpdnyc.org\/HPDonline\/provide_address.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HDPONLINE<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or through <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www1.nyc.gov\/nyc-resources\/service\/5460\/nyc311-mobile-app\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">311MOBILE<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, only if they filed through the app. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Process<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After filing the complaint, the HPD (Housing Preservation &amp; Development) will try to contact the building&#8217;s managing agent in order to make sure the complaint is corrected. The HPD will contact the tenant to see if the complaint was corrected. \u00a0If the complaint is corrected, then the case will close. If the issue is not corrected, or if the HDP cannot contact the tenant, then an inspector will be sent out. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When a Code Enforcement inspector is sent, the building\u2019s managing agent is not notified of the inspection date. The inspector will look into the complaint that was filed while also checking:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lead-based paint if there are children under 6 in the apartments<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Window guards if there are children under 11 in the apartment<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Double cylinder locks (locks that require a key from the inside)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bars on the fire escape windows<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Sourse: <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www1.nyc.gov\/site\/hpd\/renters\/report-an-issue-faqs.page\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">http:\/\/www1.nyc.gov\/site\/hpd\/renters\/report-an-issue-faqs.page<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the tenant is not home when the inspector comes, then they will either check another apartment if the issue is building-wide (i.e heat, hot water, etc.) or the inspectors will leave a card with the number that the tenant can call to schedule the next inspection. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the tenant is home when the inspector comes, they should confirm that the inspector has an HPD identification card and that they are dressed in an HPD uniform. If you are a tenant, always ask to see the card before allowing the inspector to enter your apartment. If they do not have a card or if they are not in uniform, contact your borough\u2019s Division of Code Enforcement. Find your local DCE contact information <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www1.nyc.gov\/site\/hpd\/about\/borough-service-centers.page\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If violations are found, then the owner will be given a set amount of time within to fix the problem. Tenants can find out if violations have been issued by checking <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/hpdonline.hpdnyc.org\/HPDonline\/provide_address.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HDPONLINE<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Violations will be classified as either Class A, B, or C. Depending on the issue, building owners are given a specific time period to fix them. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If emergency issues are not immediately fixed by the landlord (i.e hot water or heat), then the HPD will contact the tenant and have the issues repaired, if necessary. The landlord will be charged. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If all other issues are fixed, then the tenant will be notified and the case will close after 70 days. If the issue is not fixed, then the tenant can take legal action through Housing Court. If the issue is not fixed but the tenant is notified that the issue was fixed, then the tenant can request a re-inspection. If the re-inspection finds the issue still unresolved, the case remains open and can move onto Housing Court. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For more information, visit <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www1.nyc.gov\/site\/hpd\/renters\/complaints-and-inspections.page\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For information about Housing Court, visit <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.courts.state.ny.us\/courts\/nyc\/housing\/startinghp.shtml\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Housing Complaints The Housing Preservation and Development NYC Program allows for tenants to file complaints against neglectful landlords. When a landlord fails to provide basic services for tenants, then the tenant is justified in filing a complaint. These issues can include, but are not limited to: Heat and hot water violations (check out our heat [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5798,"featured_media":3460,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[58,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-news","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.4 (Yoast SEO v26.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Tenant Rights: How to File a Complaint - New York for Seniors<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nycnewsnetwork.com\/nyforseniors\/tenant-rights-how-to-file-a-complaint\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tenant Rights: How to File a Complaint\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Housing Complaints The Housing Preservation and Development NYC Program allows for tenants to file complaints against neglectful landlords. 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