Violations & compliance · 10/22/2026
NYC Revamps Business Owner Bill of Rights for City Inspections
Mayor Zohran Mamdani's Executive Order 18, issued July 20, revised the Business Owner Bill of Rights covering city inspections. SBS Commissioner Kenny Minaya and Council Member Pierina Ana Sanchez joined outreach on Kingsbridge Road in a campaign to reach more than 600 small businesses. Fewer than 9% of owners surveyed by SBS said they had received the previous version.
Reported by Bronx TimesRead the original ↗
What happened
The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) is telling small business owners about a revised Business Owner Bill of Rights. Mayor Zohran Mamdani established it under Executive Order 18, issued on July 20. The Bronx Times reported on outreach along Kingsbridge Road in the Bronx, part of a citywide five-borough campaign launched on Sep 1 to reach more than 600 small businesses.
SBS Commissioner Kenny Minaya, Council Member Pierina Ana Sanchez, the group Our Bronx and others went store to store. They handed owners a printed copy of the Bill of Rights and a survey link for feedback after inspections and other dealings with city agencies. One owner, Miguel Ramos of Kings Gift Shop near the 4 train at Kingsbridge Road, said his store of nearly 30 years has been struggling. He called the information and resources good news.
The revised Bill of Rights covers what owners can expect during city inspections. It includes free information, tools and resources. It also includes multilingual information and interpretation, plain explanations of rules, violations and requirements and how to appeal them, and consistent, fair enforcement. Minaya described it as a right to an inspection in the language of your choosing, a right to a consistent inspection, and educational resources. SBS also offers free compliance consultations so owners can avoid fines and fees without hiring an expeditor.
Starting Oct. 1, city inspectors must give brick-and-mortar businesses and street vendors a physical copy of the Bill of Rights at the start of an inspection. It will also be posted in city centers. Many owners visited said they did not know about it. According to SBS, fewer than 9% of business owners it surveyed reported receiving the previous version.
Key facts
- Agency
- NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS)
- Legal basis
- Executive Order 18, issued July 20
- Campaign start
- Sep 1, citywide, aiming to reach more than 600 small businesses
- Inspector rule
- From Oct. 1, inspectors must hand businesses and street vendors a physical copy at the start of inspections
- Key rights
- Inspection in the language of your choosing, consistent inspections, clear explanations of violations and appeals, free resources
- Free help
- SBS compliance consultations, offered as an alternative to hiring an expeditor
- Prior awareness
- Fewer than 9% of owners surveyed by SBS reported receiving the previous Bill of Rights
- Location covered
- Kingsbridge Road, the Bronx (Council Member Pierina Ana Sanchez's district)
What it means
Landlords
Landlords with retail or storefront tenants can point those tenants to SBS for free compliance consultations and the Bill of Rights. The material describes rights for business owners during city inspections. It does not say whether residential building inspections are covered.
Buyers and owners
Small business owners can expect a printed copy of the Bill of Rights at the start of an inspection from Oct. 1. They can ask for interpretation in their language and a clear explanation of any violation and how to appeal it.
Caseworkers
Caseworkers who help clients run small shops or work as street vendors can tell them about free SBS consultations and multilingual inspection rights. This may matter for immigrant owners, who Sanchez said can find uniformed inspectors unsettling.
The highlights
- From Oct. 1, inspectors must hand owners a printed copy as inspections begin.
- Owners get inspections in their chosen language and consistent rule enforcement.
- SBS offers free compliance consultations, so owners can skip paid expeditors.
Why it matters Landlords
Owners who run storefront businesses, or rent to them, can ask for interpretation and free SBS compliance help during city business inspections.
What to do: Contact SBS for a free compliance consultation before your next inspection.
Not known yet
- Which city agencies and types of inspections the Bill of Rights covers
- Whether it applies to residential landlords or building inspections
- What happens if an inspector does not provide the printed copy
- How owners request an SBS compliance consultation
Background
In New York City, a single business can face inspections from several agencies, depending on what it does. Examples include the Department of Buildings, the Fire Department, the Health Department and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. Many violations issued by city agencies are heard at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH), where owners can contest a summons. Some owners hire expeditors or consultants to help with permits and compliance.
Summary written by Bulwark from Bronx Times’s reporting. The original story is at bxtimes.com. This is general information, not legal advice.
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Photo: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0