Syracuse, N.Y., Rev. Gen. Ord. ch. 27 § 27-176
Failure to maintain good order at the business location
Operative Text
(a) For the purposes of this chapter, the owner of a business holding a certificate of use or conditional certificate of use shall be deemed to have failed to maintain good order at the business location in the event a sufficient number of violations are found to have occurred relative to separate incidents at the subject premises, resulting in the accumulation of twelve (12) or more points within a period of twelve (12) months or eighteen (18) or more points within a period of twenty-four (24) months in accordance with the following point system: (1) Violations of the following state statutes and rules and regulations and city of Syracuse local laws, ordinances and rules and regulations, which have not resulted in a conviction or judgment, shall be assigned a point value of four (4) points: a. Article 220 of the New York State Penal Law--Controlled Substances Offenses; b. Article 222 of the New York State Penal Law--Cannabis; c. Article 225 of the New York State Penal Law--Gambling Offenses; d. Article 230 of the New York State Penal Law--Prostitution Offenses; e. Article 120 of the New York State Penal Law--Assault and Related Offenses; f. Article 155 of the New York State Penal Law--Larceny Offenses; g. Sections 165.40, 165.45, 165.50, 165.52 and 165.54 of the New York State Penal Law--Criminal Possession of Stolen Property; h. Any violation of the New York State Alcoholic Beverage Control Law; i. Chapter 7-A of the Consolidated Laws, known as the Cannabis Law; j. Article 265 of the New York State Penal Law--Firearms and other Dangerous Weapons; k. Section 270.00 of the New York State Penal Law--Unlawfully Dealing with Fireworks and Dangerous Fireworks; l. Section 415-a of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law--Vehicle Dismantlers; m. Section 175.10 of the New York State Penal Law--Falsifying Business Records; n. Chapter 9, Article 9, of the Revised General Ordinances of the city of Syracuse, as amended, entitled Secondhand Dealers; o. Possession, use, sale or offer for sale of any alcoholic beverage in violation of Article 18 of the New York State Tax Law and/or Section 260.20 of the Penal Law, or of any cigarette or tobacco products in violation of Article 20 of the Tax Law and/or Section 260.21 of the Penal Law; p. Article 158 of the New York State Penal Law--Welfare Fraud; q. Article 178 of the New York State Penal Law--Criminal Diversion of Prescription Medications and Prescriptions; r. Section 147 of the New York State Social Services Law--Food stamp program fraud; s. Any violation of the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code and the City of Syracuse's Zoning Ordinance, Property Conservation Code, Building Code, Electrical Code, Mechanical Code and Elevator Code which is life threatening and/or necessitates the declaring of the Premises as "unfit for habitation," an "unsafe structure," and/or any "unlawful structure"; t. Article 13-F of the New York State Public Health Law, Regulation of Tobacco Products and Herbal Cigarettes; Distribution to Minors; u. Title 21 of the United States Code Annotated, Food and Drugs; v. Title VII of Public Law 109-177, the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005; w. Section 225 of the New York State Public Health Law, Section 9.2 - prohibition on the possession, manufacture, distribution, sale or offer to sell synthetic phenethylamines and/or synthetic cannabinoids. (2) Violations of the following state statutes and rules and regulations and city of Syracuse local laws, ordinances and rules and regulations, which have not resulted in a conviction or judgment, shall be assigned a point value of three (3) points: a. The New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code and the city of Syracuse's Zoning Ordinance, Property Conservation Code, Building Code, Electrical Code, Mechanical Code and Elevator Code; b. Operating a business during hours which the business is required to be closed pursuant to the state of New York's statutes and rules and regulations and/or the city of Syracuse's local laws, ordinances and rules and regulations; c. Allowing persons on the premises in excess of occupancy limits; d. Section 14-25.1 of the Revised General Ordinances of the city of Syracuse, entitled "Health and Sanitation--Littering"; e. Chapter 40 of the Revised General Ordinances of the city of Syracuse--Noise Control Ordinance; f. Chapter 5, article 1 of the Revised General Ordinances of the city of Syracuse, as amended--Amusement Businesses and Public Assemblages for Entertainment or Culture, General Licensing Provisions; g. Allowing or permitting the premises to become disorderly, including allowing or permitting offenses against public order; h. Chapter 24 , article 13 of the Revised General Ordinances of the city of Syracuse, as amended, entitled "Loitering." (b) For purposes of this article, in addition to the point system set forth in section 27-176 (a), two (2) additional points shall be added to any of the violations specified in section 27-176 (a) which have resulted in a conviction and/or judgment in favor of the prosecuting party. (c) For purposes of this article, in addition to the point system set forth in section 27-176 (a), two (2) additional points shall be added to any of the violations specified in section 27-176 (a)(1)r. every thirty (30) days that the violation remains uncorrected, and one additional point shall be added to any of the violations specified in section 27-176 (a)(2)a. every thirty (30) days that the violations remain uncorrected. (d) For purposes of this article, where more than one violation of the state statutes and rules and regulations and city of Syracuse local laws, ordinances and rules and regulations set forth above in section 27-176 (a) occurs during a single incident, the total points for the incident shall be the highest point value assigned to any single violation. (e) Businesses that have a conditional certificate of use shall be subject to this section and any points they accumulate prior to the issuance of the certificate of use shall be carried forward to such certificate of use. (f) Carryover of points: In the event that a business requiring a certificate of use vacates a premises for any reason and a new business needing a certificate of use intends to use the same premises, and there are points associated with the condition of the premises or building, those points shall carryover to the new business's certificate of use for the duration of the two-year period from the date the points were assessed.
Syracuse Rev. Gen. Ord. ch. 27, art. 12 § 27-176 establishes a point-based system for evaluating whether a business holding a certificate of use has failed to maintain good order at its location. Violations of specified state and local laws are assigned either three or four points per incident, with two additional points added when a violation results in a conviction or judgment, and further points accruing for certain uncorrected violations over time. A business crosses the threshold for a 'failure to maintain good order' finding when it accumulates 12 or more points within 12 months, or 18 or more points within 24 months. Points tied to a premises can carry over to a new business that subsequently occupies the same location.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators holding a certificate of use in Syracuse should be aware that Syracuse Rev. Gen. Ord. ch. 27, art. 12 § 27-176 tracks violations across a rolling 12- and 24-month window, meaning that even incidents that do not result in convictions contribute to a business's point total. Compliant operators generally maintain active oversight of their premises to prevent recurring violations—particularly those involving fire and building codes, noise, occupancy limits, and the enumerated criminal statutes—since each uncorrected or repeated violation can push a business closer to the accumulation thresholds. Operators acquiring or reopening a business at a previously cited location should also investigate whether any points from prior violations are subject to carryover under this section.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
While § 27-176 of Syracuse Rev. Gen. Ord. ch. 27, art. 12 primarily governs business certificate holders rather than residential tenants, tenants who live near or above a regulated business may find this provision relevant if that business's violations affect their safety or habitability. The point system includes life-threatening building and fire code violations that can result in a premises being declared unfit for habitation, which may have direct implications for people residing at or near the subject location. Tenants who believe a nearby business is generating conditions covered by Syracuse Rev. Gen. Ord. ch. 27, art. 12 § 27-176 may wish to document incidents and consult a tenant-rights organization or the appropriate city department about available complaint processes.
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 1, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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