HPD property registration: who must register, the September 1 deadline, and what happens if you do not

Published 10/17/2026 · 5 min read · By Bulwark

HPD property registration is a one-page form and a $13 fee. Skipping it costs far more than either: an unregistered building cannot bring a nonpayment case in Housing Court, cannot certify that violations were corrected, and since December 2023 faces penalties of up to $5,000.

Who must register

• Every residential building with 3 or more units, including co-ops, condos and hotels
• One- and two-family homes where neither the owner nor a member of the owner’s family lives
• The owner is responsible, even when a managing agent fills in the form

When

• Every year between May 21 and September 1
• Whenever the information changes during the year: a new managing agent, new site management, a new phone number
• As soon as you buy a building that needs registration; the seller’s registration does not carry over

How

1. Fill in the form

   Use HPD’s Property Registration Online System (PROS), or the form HPD mails. It lists the owner, the managing agent, a 24-hour emergency contact and, for corporate owners, the officers.

2. Sign and mail it

   The online form still has to be printed, signed by the owner and the agent, and mailed to HPD at Church Street Station, PO Box 3888, New York, NY 10008-3888.

3. Pay the $13 fee

   Department of Finance bills it on the property tax statement due July 1. Registration is only valid when the form is accepted and the fee is paid.

4. Confirm it went through

   HPD sends an acceptance or a correction notice. If nothing arrives in 2 to 4 weeks, check HPD Online or PROS.

What happens if you do not

• Civil penalties under Local Law 71 of 2023: $500 to $1,500 for a building of five units or fewer, $1,000 to $5,000 for more than five units. A false registration costs $750 to $5,000 and is invalidated.
• No nonpayment cases. An owner of a building with 3 or more units without a valid registration cannot start a Housing Court case for unpaid rent.
• No violation clearance. You cannot certify corrections, request a dismissal, or ask for a violation reissuance until registration is valid, so violations pile up even when the work is done.
• An order to register (a Class I order) on the building record, removed automatically once registration is valid.

Not the same as the DHCR registration

Rent-stabilized buildings have a second, separate registration: every stabilized apartment must be registered with New York State Homes and Community Renewal by July 31 each year. Late registration there carries a fine of $500 per unregistered unit for each month it is late, and an unregistered stabilized unit invites rent overcharge claims.

Both registrations are filed for every building in full management, with the 24-hour contact pointed at our line.