What Happens When an HPD Inspector Visits Your Building
A knock on the door from an HPD inspector can feel stressful, especially the first time. It doesn't have to be. Here's how an inspection usually goes, what inspectors look at, and how to make sure your lobby signs never become part of the report.
The quick answer
In short: Most HPD inspections start with a tenant complaint to 311. An inspector visits, checks the conditions in the complaint and often the common areas, then issues a Notice of Violation for anything that breaks the Housing Maintenance Code. You correct each item and certify the correction by the deadline.
Step by step
- 1A complaint or a planned visitUsually a tenant calls 311 about heat, leaks, pests or other problems. HPD also runs its own programs.
- 2The inspectionThe inspector checks the apartment and often the halls, lobby and stairs along the way.
- 3Notice of ViolationAny problems are written up by class, with a date to fix and a date to certify.
- 4Fix itCorrect the condition before the deadline.
- 5Certify itTell HPD it's fixed. See our certification guide.
What inspectors notice in the lobby
Even when the complaint is about one apartment, inspectors walk through your entrance. That's where sign problems show up fast:
Registration sign and super sign, with current info.
The inspection frame with its card, at 48 to 62 inches.
Gas leak, smoke and CO, fire safety and other notices.
Floor numbers, close the door signs and clear exits.
Get your lobby inspection ready before the knock. Shop required signs
The inspection card in your frame
That 6 x 9 card in the frame by your mailboxes is the Certificate of Inspection Visits. It's where inspection visits get recorded. Keep the frame in place and the card inside it. If the card goes missing, contact HPD.
Violation classes in plain words
Class A is non hazardous, Class B is hazardous, and Class C is immediately hazardous. Each has its own deadline, from 90 days down to 24 hours, with special timelines for things like heat, lead and self closing doors. The full table is in our certification guide.
How to prepare
- Check HPD Online.
Look up your building on HPD Online to see open complaints and violations.
- Walk the lobby.
Use our checklist and fix anything missing before an inspection happens.
- Know the common problems.
What this looks like in practice
Picture a tenant calling 311 about no hot water in a 10 unit building. The inspector checks the apartment, then on the way out notices the super sign lists a phone number that's disconnected. The hot water gets fixed that day, the new super sign arrives two days later, and both are certified online within the week.
Official sources: HPD: Clear Violations, HPD Online.
Quick answers
What triggers an HPD inspection?
Most start with a tenant complaint to 311. HPD also inspects through its own programs.
Do HPD inspectors check lobby signs?
They can write violations for anything they observe that breaks the Housing Maintenance Code, including missing or outdated signs.
Where can I see violations after an inspection?
On HPD Online, by searching your building's address.
Not sure what your building needs?
Send us your address and number of apartments. We will tell you exactly which signs to order.
General information based on the NYC HPD Required Signage page as of November 2026. Not legal advice. HPD Signs NYC is not affiliated with the City of New York or HPD. Prices may change. Check nyc.gov/hpd for the latest rules.