Albany, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 231 § 231-138
Database information
Operative Text
A. The Department of Building and Regulatory Compliance (hereinafter "the Department") shall maintain, through the Department's website, a publicly accessible electronic interface that reports code violation, building permit applications, and complaint information based on the name of the property owner and the address of the property. This interface shall include: (1) The mailing address of each registered property owned by such registered owner; (2) The name of the corporate entity associated with the property owner, if applicable; (3) The nature of all code violations that have occurred at the property, including the date issues, opened, resolved, and for each action taken on each violation: (a) The inspector that observed or acted on the violation; (b) The date such action was taken; and (c) The proposed next step to remediate the alleged violation; (4) The number of violation complaints involving the property; (5) All former health and safety violations, including the date issued, opened, and resolved; (6) A list of all current owners of the property, if possible; (7) Any and all building permits applied for and decisions of application, pursuant to Chapter 133 of the Code and other applicable code sections.
Albany, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 231 § 231-138 establishes a publicly accessible online database that the Department of Building and Regulatory Compliance must maintain. The database links property records to owner names and addresses, displaying code violations, complaint histories, health and safety records, and building permit applications and decisions. Each violation entry includes details such as the inspecting officer, dates of key actions, and proposed remediation steps.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Albany, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 231 § 231-138, a property owner's compliance history—including code violations, complaint counts, permit applications, and health and safety records—is visible to the public through the Department of Building and Regulatory Compliance's website. Operators who keep registrations current and resolve violations promptly will generally have cleaner public records, since the database tracks open and resolved dates for each violation. Reviewing the database periodically allows owners and managers to confirm that their property's information is accurate and up to date.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Albany, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 231 § 231-138 gives renters and prospective tenants free access to a property's full code-violation and complaint history through the Department of Building and Regulatory Compliance's public website, searchable by owner name or property address. This record includes unresolved violations, past health and safety issues, and the status of any building permits, which can help tenants understand the condition and compliance history of a property. Tenants who discover discrepancies or ongoing unresolved violations may consider contacting the Department directly, consulting a local tenant-rights organization, or raising the violation history in any relevant housing proceeding.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 7, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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