Schenectady, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 167 § 167-15
Penalties for offenses
Operative Text
A. Housing Code. Failure to comply with the terms of this chapter shall be a violation as defined by the Penal Law of the State of New York and shall be a violation and shall be punishable as follows: (1) For a first offense: by a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $1,000. (2) For a second offense of a prior violation of this chapter by the same person(s), firm(s) and/or corporation(s): by a fine of not less than $750 nor more than $1,500 or by a term of imprisonment of not less than five days nor more than 15 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. (3) For a third offense and any subsequent offenses thereafter of a prior violation of this chapter by the same person(s), firm(s) and/or corporation(s): by a fine of not less than $1,500 nor more than $3,000 or by a term of imprisonment of not less than five days nor more than 15 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. (4) In the alternative, each violation of this chapter may be punishable by a penalty of not less than $500 nor more than $3,000, to be recovered by the City in a civil action. B. Building Code. (1) When a person is convicted of failing to comply with any provision of the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code (hereinafter "Uniform Code"), such person shall be subject to a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $1,000 per day of violation or by a term of imprisonment of not less than five days nor more than 15 days, or both such fine and imprisonment. (2) Each day of violation shall be deemed to constitute a separate offense. (3) Fines levied shall constitute civil forfeitures to the City of Schenectady. C. A separate offense shall be deemed committed on each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues unabated after the time limit set for the abatement of the violation. D. Any person issued a notice of violation pursuant to any provision of this chapter shall be subject to an administrative fee of $50, and such administrative fee shall be charged against the land upon which the notice of violation was issued as a municipal lien or such administrative fee shall be added to the tax rolls as an assessment or levied as a special tax against said property or recovered in a civil suit against the person to which the notice of violation was issued.
Schenectady, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 167 § 167-15 establishes a tiered penalty structure for violations of the city's Housing Code and Building Code. Under the Housing Code, fines escalate from a range of $500–$1,000 for a first offense up to $1,500–$3,000 for a third or subsequent offense by the same party, with imprisonment possible for repeat offenses; civil penalties in the same range are also available to the city. Under the Building Code, each day a violation continues is treated as a separate offense carrying fines of $500–$1,000 per day, potential imprisonment, or both. Additionally, anyone issued a notice of violation under this chapter is automatically assessed a $50 administrative fee, which can be placed as a lien on the property or added to the tax rolls.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating in Schenectady should be aware that § 167-15 imposes escalating financial and criminal consequences for Housing Code non-compliance, starting at $500–$1,000 for a first offense and rising to $1,500–$3,000 for third and subsequent offenses by the same party. Building Code violations carry an additional per-day penalty of up to $1,000, meaning unresolved issues can accumulate rapidly into significant liability. Operators who receive a notice of violation under ch. 167 are also subject to a $50 administrative fee that may be attached as a lien against the property, so prompt remediation and documentation of corrective action are hallmarks of compliant property management.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Schenectady's § 167-15 gives the city meaningful enforcement tools that tenants can point to when housing conditions go unaddressed, including fines that increase with each repeated offense by the same landlord and per-day Building Code penalties that grow the longer a violation continues. Tenants who believe their landlord is violating ch. 167 may report conditions to the appropriate Schenectady code enforcement office, which has authority to issue notices of violation and pursue civil or criminal penalties. Tenant-rights organizations in the Schenectady area can help residents understand how these penalty provisions interact with other protections and what general options exist for raising a violation.
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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