Cal. Civ. Code § 16
Multiple residence emergency information
Operative Text
§ 16. Multiple residence emergency information. 1. In the case of an emergency affecting a multiple residence, the owner or agent of such multiple residence shall provide emergency service personnel, upon the request of such emergency service personnel, including but not limited to local police and fire departments, with the names and contact information of all affected residents or occupants as listed in the lease of such multiple residence as is required to ascertain the safety of such residents or occupants. For the purposes of this section, an emergency shall include but not be limited to fires, gas leaks, building collapses, natural disasters, acts of terrorism and other events where the physical safety of residents must be accounted for by ascertaining their whereabouts. 2. The owner or agent of such multiple residence shall update the list of names and contact information of all affected residents or occupants of such multiple residence upon the execution of a new lease, lease renewal or lease amendment, or where such owner is an authority as such term is defined in section three of the public housing law, including all such authorities established after the first day of January, nineteen hundred thirty-nine, upon annual recertification. Specific and informed written consent shall be obtained by the owner or agent of the multiple residence from each occupant or resident each time the list is updated and no occupant's or resident's name or contact information shall be included in such list without their specific and informed written consent. Written notice shall be provided to the occupant or resident about the contact list and shall include but not be limited to that such list is maintained by the owner and the potential impact of opting-out. 3. Such list of names and contact information shall only be maintained for the purpose of an emergency evacuation and shall not be disseminated, used or accessed by emergency services personnel or disseminated, used or accessed by the owner or agent of such multiple residence for any other purposes.
Under N.Y. Mult. Resid. Law § 16, owners or agents of multiple residences are required to maintain a list of residents' names and contact information for emergency use, and to share that list with emergency service personnel—such as police or fire departments—when requested during qualifying emergencies like fires, gas leaks, or building collapses. The list must be updated whenever a new lease, renewal, or amendment is executed, and residents must give specific, informed written consent each time the list is updated before their information may be included. The law strictly limits the list's use to emergency evacuation purposes only; neither the owner nor emergency personnel may use or share it for any other reason.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of multiple residences subject to N.Y. Mult. Resid. Law § 16 generally maintain an up-to-date resident contact list, refreshing it at each new lease execution, renewal, or amendment and obtaining fresh written consent from each occupant at every update. Compliant operators also provide written notice to residents explaining that the list exists, that it is held by the owner, and what opting out may mean for their safety accountability during an emergency. Because § 16 restricts the list's use solely to emergency evacuation, operators keep it segregated from other business records and do not use it for marketing, collections, or any non-emergency purpose.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under N.Y. Mult. Resid. Law § 16, residents have the right to give or withhold specific, informed written consent before their name and contact information are placed on the building's emergency contact list, and that consent must be sought anew each time the list is updated. Residents are also entitled to written notice from the owner explaining the list's existence and the potential consequences of opting out. Tenants who believe their information was included without proper consent, or that the list was used for purposes beyond emergency evacuation, may consider raising the issue with a local tenant-rights organization or a relevant housing authority for guidance on available remedies under § 16.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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