Guides
Plain-language guides to the violations, penalties and paperwork NYC boards deal with. Every penalty figure is checked against the cited rule before publication - no folklore, no rounded horror stories.
Failure to Certify Correction: The $5,000 Penalty With a Narrow Door
The DOB civil penalty under Administrative Code 28-219.1 and 1 RCNY 102-05 after Local Law 50 of 2022: a flat $5,000 in penalties, construction-site Class 1 violations only, and the permit gate it creates until paid.
Figures checked November 11, 2026.
Failure to Maintain (28-301.1): The Owner's Standing Duty
Administrative Code 28-301.1 makes the owner responsible at all times for keeping the building safe and code-compliant. The Buildings Penalty Schedule amounts by class, the cure rules, and how these violations close.
Figures checked November 11, 2026.
Illegal Conversions in NYC: $15,000 Per Unit and $1,000 a Day
What counts as an illegal conversion under Administrative Code 28-210.1, the $15,000-per-unit minimum for conversions of three or more units, the $1,000-a-day additional penalty up to $45,000, and how the violation closes.
Figures checked November 11, 2026.
Work Without a Permit in NYC: Two Penalties, One Open Violation
How NYC penalizes work done without a DOB permit: the DOB civil penalty (up to $15,000 in penalties), the separate ECB/OATH summons, and why paying does not close the violation - the Certificate of Correction does.
Figures checked November 11, 2026.