Cal. Civ. Code § 307
Records and searches
Operative Text
§ 307. Records and searches. All records of the department shall be public. Upon request the department shall be required to make a search and issue a certificate of any of its records, including violations, and shall have the power to charge and collect reasonable fees for searches or certificates.
Under N.Y. Mult. Resid. Law § 307, the records held by the relevant department—including records of violations—are designated as public documents. When someone requests a search of those records or a certificate reflecting their contents, the department is obligated to conduct that search and issue the certificate. The department is permitted to charge a reasonable fee for performing searches or issuing certificates.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers should be aware that under N.Y. Mult. Resid. Law § 307, any violations recorded against a building are part of the public record and accessible to anyone who requests them. Operators who stay current on addressing and clearing violations generally maintain a cleaner public record, since prospective tenants, buyers, or lenders can request a certificate of violations at any time. Keeping documentation of resolved violations can be a useful practice given the transparency this provision establishes.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
N.Y. Mult. Resid. Law § 307 gives the public—including tenants—the right to request a search of departmental records and obtain a certificate that reflects any violations on file for a building. This can be a useful step when researching a unit's history before signing a lease or when gathering information about existing conditions. Tenant-rights organizations and local rent boards can often help explain how to submit a records request and how to interpret the results.
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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