N.Y.C. Admin. Code tit. 27, ch. 2 § 27-2144
Lien on premises (New York City Housing Maintenance Code)
Operative Text
a. There shall be filed in the office of the department a record of all work caused to be performed by or on behalf of the department. Such records shall be kept on a building-by-building basis and shall be accessible to the public during business hours. Such record may be made and maintained electronically. Within thirty days after the issuance of a purchase or work order to cause a repair to be made by or on behalf of the department, entry of such order shall be made on the records of the department. Such record may be made and maintained electronically. Such record shall be deemed to be entered on the date that such record is entered electronically on the records of the department. Such entry shall constitute notice to all parties. b. All expenses incurred by the department for the repair or the elimination of any dangerous or unlawful conditions therein, pursuant to this chapter or any other applicable provision of law, shall constitute a lien upon the premises when such charge is due and payable, which, notwithstanding any other provision of law, shall be the due and payable date for such charge provided on the second statement of account containing such charge. Such lien shall have a priority over all other liens and encumbrances on the premises except for the lien of taxes and assessments. However, no lien created pursuant to this chapter shall be enforced against a subsequent purchaser in good faith or mortgagee in good faith unless the requirements of subdivision a of this section are satisfied; this limitation shall only apply to transactions occurring after the date such record should have been entered pursuant to subdivision a and the date such entry was made. c. A notice thereof, stating the amount due and the nature of the charge, shall be sent by the department of finance in accordance with section 11-129 of the administrative code, and such charge shall be due and payable, notwithstanding any other provision of law, on the due and payable date provided on the second statement of account containing such charge. d. If such charge is not paid by the date when such charge is due and payable in accordance with subdivision c of this section, it shall be the duty of the department of finance to receive interest thereon, to be calculated to the date of payment from the due and payable date. The rate of interest applied to such unpaid charge shall be the higher of seven percent per annum, or the rate applicable to such premises for nonpayment of taxes on real property pursuant to subdivision (e) of section 11-224.1 . e. Such charge and the interest thereon shall continue to be, until paid, a lien on the premises. Such lien shall be a tax lien within the meaning of sections 11-319 and 11-401 of the administrative code and may be sold, enforced or foreclosed in the manner provided in chapters three and four of title eleven of the administrative code or may be satisfied in accordance with the provisions of section thirteen hundred fifty-four of the real property actions and proceedings law. f. Any statement sent by the department of finance pursuant to this section shall have included thereon a reference to article eight of this subchapter. (Am. L.L. 2015/105, 11/30/2015, eff. 7/1/2016)
N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 27-2001 and 27-2144 establishes a mechanism by which the City of New York can place a lien on a property when the Department of Housing Preservation and Development performs repairs or eliminates dangerous or unlawful conditions at its own expense. The lien attaches to the premises and takes priority over most other liens and encumbrances, except for taxes and assessments, and accrues interest at the higher of seven percent per annum or the applicable tax nonpayment rate if left unpaid. Records of all such work orders must be filed and made publicly accessible, and that public record serves as legal notice to all parties, including future buyers and lenders.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 27-2001 and 27-2144, property owners and managers should be aware that any city-performed repair or hazard-abatement work can result in a charge that becomes a high-priority lien on the property, due and payable as indicated on the second billing statement from the Department of Finance. Compliant operators generally monitor the department's publicly accessible records on a building-by-building basis to stay informed of any work orders entered against their properties, and they address outstanding charges promptly to avoid accruing interest. Because such liens can be sold or foreclosed in the same manner as tax liens, operators typically ensure that any city-billed repair costs are resolved before property transfers or refinancing transactions.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 27-2001 and 27-2144 gives tenants and the public the right to access department records of city-performed repair work during business hours, which can be a useful tool for understanding the maintenance and code-compliance history of a building. If a landlord has failed to address dangerous or unlawful conditions and the city has stepped in to make repairs, tenants may find that documented record relevant when raising habitability concerns or filing complaints with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid services can help tenants understand how these public records and lien provisions may relate to broader housing conditions at their building.
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.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.