Before Buying in NYC: How to Check ACRIS, DOB, and HPD Records

A listing tells a marketing story. New York City's public databases tell parts of the property's legal and operational history. They do not replace an attorney, title search, engineer, or building diligence, but they help a buyer ask better questions before contract.

Start with the correct identifiers

Find the borough, block, and lot — the BBL — from the city's property profile or tax record. Street addresses can be inconsistent; the BBL is the reliable key across agencies. A condo unit normally has its own lot, while a co-op apartment is shares in a corporation and may not appear as a separately deeded parcel.

ACRIS: recorded property documents

ACRIS contains deeds, mortgages, satisfactions, assignments, and other recorded documents for Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, generally from 1966 forward. Staten Island records are handled through the Richmond County Clerk.

Use ACRIS to review the apparent ownership chain, recent mortgages, recorded liens, and deed history. Names can be misspelled and documents can be indexed imperfectly, so this is reconnaissance, not a title opinion. NYC explicitly warns that ACRIS is not a substitute for a professional title search.

DOB NOW and BIS: building records

The Department of Buildings maintains two public systems. DOB NOW contains newer filings, permits, inspections, and many violations. The older Building Information System (BIS) still holds legacy jobs, certificates, complaints, and records that have not moved to DOB NOW. Check both.

Compare the actual home with approved use and plans. A finished basement, added bathroom, converted garage, enclosed terrace, or combined apartment may look polished but still lack approval. Search for open permit jobs, expired permits, stop-work orders, complaints, and violations. An open DOB violation can complicate a Certificate of Occupancy amendment and may delay a sale or refinancing.

HPD: housing-maintenance history

For multiple dwellings and rental buildings, HPD Online shows registration, complaints, violations, litigation, and related housing-maintenance information. A condo buyer should review the building, not only the unit. Repeated heat, hot-water, mold, pest, or safety complaints may reveal an operational issue that financial statements alone do not show.

Turn findings into diligence questions

Public records can be stale, duplicated, dismissed, or attached to the building rather than the unit. Give the results to the buyer's attorney and, where condition or legality is involved, an architect or engineer. Ask the seller or managing agent for closure documents rather than accepting “it was taken care of.”

Before contract, save a PDF or screenshot of the searches and record the date. Databases change, and a clean search is not a warranty. The goal is to identify questions early enough that licensed professionals can resolve them.

Official sources

• NYC ACRIS: https://www.nyc.gov/site/finance/property/acris.page
• NYC DOB building data: https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/dob/find-building-data.page
• DOB NOW public-portal FAQs: https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/dob-now-public-portal-faqs.page
• HPD Online: https://hpdonline.nyc.gov/

This article is educational information, not legal, title, engineering, or building-code advice.