How to Complete and Submit the HPD Certificate of Correction Form

The HPD Certificate of Correction form is how a New York City property owner tells the Department of Housing Preservation and Development that a housing code violation has been fixed. You can file it two ways: online through HPD’s eCertification portal, or on paper by mailing the notarized Agency copy of the Notice of Violation to the Code Enforcement office in the borough where the building sits. Either way, the filing has to reach HPD by the correction deadline printed on the Notice, and it has to be signed by someone listed on the building’s current HPD property registration. The form is a sworn statement, so what you certify has to be true.

Correction Deadlines by Violation Class

Every HPD violation carries a deadline that runs from the date of service. The city treats a mailed notice as served five days after mailing for Class C violations and 14 days after mailing for Class A and B.

  • Class A (nonhazardous): 90 days from service. Minor issues like chipped paint in non-lead situations or small plaster cracks.
  • Class B (hazardous): 30 days from service. Conditions like inadequate hallway lighting or broken locks on common doors.
  • Class C (immediately hazardous): timing depends on the condition. Lead-based paint, window guard, mold, and pest violations get 21 days. Self-closing door violations get 14 days. Heat and hot water violations have no grace period. All other Class C violations must be corrected within 24 hours of service.

Once the window closes without a valid certification on file, HPD can seek daily civil penalties in Housing Court.1NYC Housing Preservation & Development. Penalties and Fees

What to Gather Before You Fill Out the Form

Two documents supply everything the form asks for: the Notice of Violation, and whatever record you have from the person who did the repair.

From the Notice, copy the building address, the violation number for the specific defect, and the apartment or area number where the condition was found. The violation number is what HPD uses to match your filing to its records, so copy it exactly.2NYC Housing Preservation and Development. NYC HPD Certification of Correction of Violations

From the person who did the work, get their full name, mailing address, phone number, and the exact date the repair was completed. That can be an outside contractor, or the building superintendent if the super handled it. The completion date is how HPD decides whether you met the deadline, so confirm it before you write it down.3NYC Housing Preservation and Development. NYC HPD Certification of Correction Form – Section: What information is needed to eCertify a violation?

Who Is Allowed to Sign

Only a person listed on the building’s current HPD property registration can sign the certification. That means the individual owner, the registered managing agent, or, when a corporation owns the building, an officer of the corporation who appears on the registration. No one else qualifies. If the registration is out of date or names the wrong person, HPD will reject the filing outright. Buildings with three or more residential units, and private dwellings whose owner does not live on-site, are required to keep registration current.2NYC Housing Preservation and Development. NYC HPD Certification of Correction of Violations

Filing Online Through eCertification

eCertification is HPD’s online portal and the faster of the two filing routes. It works for most violations but not for lead-based paint, which has to go in on paper.2NYC Housing Preservation and Development. NYC HPD Certification of Correction of Violations

Enrolling

Three things have to be in place before you can enroll: the property registration must be current, you must be a person listed on that registration, and you need an HPD online login. If you already log in to HPD’s Property Registration Online System, the same credentials work here. To enroll, go to nyc.gov/hpd, follow the eCertification enrollment link, complete the information online, and submit a signed affidavit to HPD. Once HPD processes the enrollment you can file immediately.4NYC Housing Preservation and Development. eCertification – Create a New User Account

Filing

Log in, select the violations you want to certify, and enter the same information the paper form asks for: the correction date and the name, address, and phone number of the person who did the work. Review carefully before you click the verification checkbox. After you submit, the violation status updates with HPD, and you can print or save a copy for your records.5NYC Housing Preservation and Development. Submitting an eCertification

Filing by Mail

For a paper filing, fill out and sign the certification on the back of the Agency copy of the Notice of Violation, then have your signature notarized. The sworn statement and the notary block are both built into the form, so plan a trip to a notary before your deadline.2NYC Housing Preservation and Development. NYC HPD Certification of Correction of Violations

Mail the completed Agency copy to the Division of Code Enforcement office in the borough where the building is located. Use certified or registered mail with return receipt requested so you have proof of a timely mailing if a dispute comes up later. Hand delivery is also acceptable. The Agency copy has to be postmarked or hand-delivered on or before the certification deadline printed on the Notice.

Borough Code Enforcement addresses:

  • Bronx: 1932 Arthur Avenue, 3rd Floor, Bronx, NY 10457
  • Brooklyn: 345 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
  • Manhattan: 94 Old Broadway, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10027
  • Queens: 120-55 Queens Boulevard, Kew Gardens, NY 11424
  • Staten Island: 10 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10301
6NYC Housing Preservation & Development. Borough Service Centers

Lead-Based Paint Violations Are Different

Lead-based paint violations cannot be filed through eCertification. They go in on paper with a full documentation package, and the repair itself has to be performed by an EPA-certified lead abatement firm. The package must include:

  • A sworn affidavit from the abatement firm’s authorized agent confirming the work complied with the Housing Maintenance Code and applicable regulations, with start and completion dates.
  • Copies of the EPA certification for the abatement firm, plus individual EPA certifications for every worker and supervisor on the job.
  • A room-by-room description of the work, listing components replaced, or invoices documenting the work.
  • Surface dust clearance testing analyzed by a state-certified laboratory, with an affidavit from the person who collected the samples verifying the date and location, and a copy of that person’s EPA certificate.

The signed, notarized package with all attachments goes to the Division of Code Enforcement, 94 Old Broadway, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10027, Attention: Audit Unit. A missing EPA certificate or dust report will get the whole package sent back, and the deadline keeps running while you fix it.7NYC Housing Preservation and Development. Certification of Correction of Lead-Based Paint Violations

What Happens After You File

A valid certification does not immediately close the violation. HPD has up to 70 days to re-inspect. If the re-inspection confirms the repair, or if HPD simply does not re-inspect within the 70-day window, the violation is deemed complied and closed automatically. Lead-based paint violations are the exception: they stay open until HPD affirmatively verifies compliance, with no automatic closure.1NYC Housing Preservation & Development. Penalties and Fees

Penalties for Missing the Deadline

If you miss the correction deadline, HPD can pursue daily civil penalties in Housing Court:

  • Class A: $25 per day from the date set for correction until corrected.
  • Class B: $50 per day plus a minimum of $250, from the date set for correction until corrected.
  • Class C: $125 per day plus a minimum of $500, from the date set for correction until corrected.

Failing to certify at all, even where the repair was actually made, is treated as a separate Housing Maintenance Code violation. HPD can stack the non-certification penalty on top of the non-correction penalty, and both accrue daily.8New York City Administrative Code. New York City Administrative Code 27-2115 – Imposition of Civil Penalty

Penalties for a False Certification

Certifying a repair that was not actually made is punished far more harshly than filing late. A standard false certification carries a civil penalty of $50 to $250 per violation. For lead-based paint violations under Article 14 of the Housing Maintenance Code, the civil penalty is $1,000 to $3,000 per false certification, and the signer is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 in fines, up to one year of imprisonment, or both. False certifications under Article 4 carry civil penalties of $2,000 to $10,000 per false certification plus the same misdemeanor exposure. If the signer is an employee of the owner, the owner is responsible for the civil penalty.9NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development. New York City Housing Maintenance Code

These penalties stack on top of any civil penalties already accruing for the uncorrected violation. And because the form itself is a sworn statement, a false filing also exposes the signer to perjury liability outside the Housing Maintenance Code. If the repair is not genuinely complete, do not sign the form.