Building Systems Compliance
NYC owner & manager guide • Reviewed October 8, 2026
← Resource Center · Compliance Calendar
Use this guide to organize coverage, deadlines, and follow-up for your buildings. Requirements depend on the property and equipment; confirm applicability and current filing instructions with the responsible agency and qualified professional.
Boiler inspections
An inspection is only one part of boiler compliance. Owners must also track the report, defects, corrective work, and the accepted filing for each device.
Who should check coverage?
Covered low-pressure boilers and high-pressure boilers. Residential size, occupancy, equipment type, and exemptions affect coverage.
Timing
Annual inspection cycle. Reports are due within 14 days of inspection. High-pressure boilers require internal and external inspections in the same cycle, approximately six months apart.
Your action checklist
1. Confirm each boiler’s device number and inspection category with the inspector.
2. Schedule the required inspections before year-end; do not treat December 31 as a universal filing deadline.
3. For reported defects, track the 90-day correction period and subsequent report/AOC deadline; obtain approval for any extension.
Records to keep
Inspection reports, filing acknowledgments, defect lists, correction evidence, AOCs, and approved extensions.
Official sources: DOB boiler compliance
DEP boiler registrations and operating approvals
DEP air approvals and DOB safety inspections are separate obligations. Completing one does not complete the other.
Who should check coverage?
Fuel-burning equipment subject to DEP air requirements. Determine the application type from the equipment’s capacity, fuel, and use.
Timing
Follow the expiration and conditions on the actual registration or certificate. Start renewal preparation before it expires.
Your action checklist
1. Inventory equipment and match it to the CATS record.
2. Have the appropriate licensed professional determine whether registration or a work permit/certificate to operate is required.
3. Reconcile replacements, amendments, cancellations, and ownership details in CATS.
Records to keep
Current approval, equipment specifications, renewal receipt, inspection records, and professional correspondence.
Official sources: DEP Clean Air Tracking System
Engines, generators, and turbines
Emergency equipment still needs a compliance review. Generator purpose, output, and installation type determine the DEP filing route.
Who should check coverage?
Covered combustion engines, generators, turbines, and similar sources. DEP’s March 2026 determination sheet distinguishes registration from permit requirements.
Timing
Equipment-specific approvals and renewal dates; review before installation, replacement, or changes in use.
Your action checklist
1. Collect the make, model, fuel, kW/HP or heat-input rating, and emergency/non-emergency designation.
2. Use DEP’s current determination sheet with the engineer or equipment professional.
3. Track permit conditions, inspections, operating records, and renewals in one equipment file.
Records to keep
Technical data, CATS approvals, installation documentation, inspection reports, and applicable operating logs.
Official sources: DEP filing determination, March 2026
Elevators, escalators, and correction filings
Track every device separately. A completed test, a filed report, and corrected defects are different milestones.
Who should check coverage?
Covered elevators and escalators; required test categories depend on the device.
Timing
Annual periodic inspections and CAT1 testing; CAT5 applies on its device-specific five-year schedule. Periodic reports: 14 days. CAT1/CAT5 reports: 21 days.
Your action checklist
1. Use approved agencies and confirm required independence and witnessing.
2. Record inspection dates, defects, correction dates, and accepted filings.
3. For CAT1/periodic defects, track correction within 90 days and filing within 14 days after correction; do not wait until the 104-day outer limit.
Records to keep
Device roster, maintenance agreement, periodic/CAT reports, AOCs, receipts, and agency acceptance.
Official sources: DOB elevator compliance
Façade inspections: FISP / Local Law 11
Façade compliance combines professional assessment, public protection, repairs, and reporting. A filing window is not permission to leave an unsafe condition unresolved.
Who should check coverage?
Buildings subject to the Façade Inspection and Safety Program, generally those taller than six stories.
Timing
Five-year cycles, with filing windows assigned by the last digit of the tax block. Cycle 10 runs from February 21, 2025 through February 20, 2030.
Your action checklist
1. Confirm the tax block and assigned sub-cycle using DOB’s diagram.
2. Engage a Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector and plan access early.
3. Track the resulting Safe, SWARMP, or Unsafe classification and the QEWI’s required repair and filing actions.
Records to keep
QEWI reports, photographs, repair schedule, protective measures, accepted filings, and amended reports.
Official sources: DOB Cycle 10 schedule · DOB FISP filing instructions
Annual parapet observations
Parapet observations are a separate annual obligation. A building can need this review even when it is too short for FISP.
Who should check coverage?
Buildings with parapets facing the public right-of-way, subject to exceptions including detached one- and two-family homes and certain barriers preventing exterior-wall access.
Timing
Annually. Keep reports for at least six years; provide them to DOB on request.
Your action checklist
1. Have a competent person observe the entire parapet and document its condition.
2. Include dated photos, locations, appurtenances, and repairs in the report.
3. Unsafe conditions require immediate DOB notification and public protection, with correction within 90 days.
Records to keep
Signed observation report, dated images, repair evidence, and any emergency notifications.
Official sources: DOB parapets
Parking structures: Local Law 126
Parking-structure assessments should be planned around the assigned cycle and any earlier safety or repair obligations.
Who should check coverage?
Covered parking structures, including qualifying garages within buildings. Open unattached lots, garages for fewer than three cars, and other listed exceptions require separate evaluation.
Timing
Six-year program with staggered sub-cycles. Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island’s current window ends December 31, 2027.
Your action checklist
1. Confirm coverage and the property’s district.
2. Hire a Qualified Parking Structure Inspector (QPSI).
3. Track the assessment report, required maintenance, unsafe-condition actions, and subsequent filings. A report is generally due within 60 days after assessment completion.
Records to keep
QPSI assessment, prior filings, repair records, photographs, and proof of acceptance.
Official sources: DOB parking structures
Marquees and sign permits
A marquee or sign may have installation approvals and recurring permit obligations. Keep both in the property’s permit register.
Who should check coverage?
Buildings with covered marquees, illuminated signs, billboards, or other regulated signage.
Timing
NYC311 identifies annual renewal requirements for the additional permit covering illuminated signs, billboards, and marquees.
Your action checklist
1. Confirm the existing structure matches its approved plans and permits.
2. Review renewal notices and pay/file through the applicable agency process.
3. Before alterations, have the project professional assess DOB and any other location-specific approvals.
Records to keep
Approved plans, permit numbers, expiration dates, renewal receipts, and inspection correspondence.
Official sources: NYC311 sign, awning, and marquee permits · DOB sign permits
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