N.Y.C. Admin. Code tit. 27, ch. 2 § 27-2017.3

Violation for visible mold (New York City Housing Maintenance Code)

In Force
Verified 10/27/2026 · Next check 11/3/2026
New York CityHabitability & Repair

Operative Text

N.Y.C. Admin. Code tit. 27, ch. 2 § 27-2017.3
a. The presence of visible mold in any room in a dwelling unit in a multiple dwelling shall constitute an indoor mold hazard violation as provided in this section, except when such mold is present on tile or grout:



1. The presence of visible mold in an amount measuring in total less than ten square feet in a room within a dwelling unit shall constitute a non-hazardous violation.



2. The presence of visible mold in an amount measuring in total between ten square feet and thirty square feet in a room within a dwelling unit shall constitute a hazardous violation.



3. In addition, the presence of visible mold as provided in subparagraphs (a) or (b) of this paragraph shall constitute a hazardous violation if:



(a) there is an existing non-hazardous violation of paragraph one of this subdivision for which the certification period has expired and the non-hazardous violation has not been certified as corrected within the certification time period, and the mold condition that was the cause of the non-hazardous violation continues to be present in the same room in the dwelling unit; or



(b) The owner has submitted a false certification of correction of a non-hazardous violation issued pursuant to paragraph one of this subdivision and the mold condition that was the cause of such non-hazardous violation continues to be present in the same room in the dwelling unit.



4. The presence of visible mold in an amount measuring in total greater than or equal to thirty square feet in a room within a dwelling unit, shall constitute an immediately hazardous violation.



5. In addition, the presence of visible mold as provided in subparagraphs (a) or (b) of this paragraph shall constitute an immediately hazardous violation if:



(a) There is an existing hazardous violation pursuant to paragraph two of this subdivision for which the certification period has expired and such hazardous violation has not been certified as corrected within the certification time period, and the department has reinspected the unit within seventy days of the certification date of such hazardous violation and has found that the mold condition that was the cause of such hazardous violation continues to be present in the same room in the dwelling unit; or



(b) The owner has submitted a false certification of correction of a hazardous violation issued pursuant to paragraph two of this subdivision and the mold condition that was the cause of such hazardous violation continues to be present in the same room in the dwelling unit.



b. The presence of visible mold in an amount measuring greater than or equal to thirty square feet in any one room or any one level of a hallway of a common area or fifty square feet in the aggregate shall constitute a hazardous violation. The presence of visible mold in an amount measuring less than thirty square feet in any one room or any one level of a hallway of a common area or fifty square feet in the aggregate shall constitute a non-hazardous violation.



c. 1. The date for correction of a non-hazardous or hazardous violation pursuant to subdivisions a or b of this section shall be as set forth in subdivision c of section 27-2115 .



2. The date for correction of an immediately hazardous violation pursuant to subdivision a of this section shall be twenty-one days after service of the notice of violation as provided on such notice.



3. The department may postpone the date by which an immediately hazardous violation issued pursuant to subdivision a of this section shall be corrected upon a showing, made within the time set for correction in the notice, that prompt action to correct the violation has been taken but that full correction cannot be completed within the time provided because of serious technical difficulties, inability to obtain necessary materials, funds or labor, inability to gain access to the dwelling unit wherein the violation exists, or such other portion of the building as may be necessary to make the required repair, provided, however, that where such immediately hazardous violation has been issued as a result of a reinspection of a hazardous violation that remained uncorrected, no postponement shall be granted. Such postponement shall not exceed fourteen days from the date of correction set forth in the notice of violation. The department may require such other conditions as are deemed necessary to correct the violation within the time set for the postponement.



(L.L. 2018/055, 1/19/2018, eff. 1/19/2019)
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Under N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 27-2017.3, visible mold in dwelling units and common areas of multiple dwellings is classified into tiers of violation severity based on the area of mold present. In a dwelling unit, mold covering less than ten square feet in a room is a non-hazardous violation; ten to under thirty square feet is hazardous; and thirty square feet or more is immediately hazardous. A lower-tier violation can be elevated to a more serious category if a prior violation was not corrected within the required timeframe or if an owner submitted a false certification of correction. Common areas follow a parallel but distinct set of thresholds.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 14, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Property owners and managers subject to N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 27-2017.3 generally maintain inspection routines that catch visible mold early, before small patches grow into larger, higher-severity violations. Compliant operators correct mold conditions within the applicable certification periods set out in § 27-2115 and, for immediately hazardous violations, within twenty-one days of the notice of violation. Submitting a false certification of correction is specifically identified in § 27-2017.3 as a basis for escalating a violation to a higher severity tier, so accurate recordkeeping and honest reporting are central to ongoing compliance.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Under N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 27-2017.3, tenants in multiple dwellings have a right to a living environment free from mold conditions that rise to the level of a housing code violation, with the severity of the violation tied to how much mold is present. Tenants who observe visible mold may report conditions to the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, which is responsible for inspecting and issuing violations under this section. Tenant-rights organizations can help residents understand how uncorrected violations or false certifications by an owner may affect their rights, and consulting such a resource is one general path for learning about available remedies.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

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Related Rules

§ 244.260
Compliance required
§ 14.567
ADOPTED BY REFERENCE
§ 244.340
Sewer and water connections

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