Local Law 11 applies to buildings taller than six stories. A Staten Island house is almost never covered. A Brooklyn elevator co-op can be.
Joseph Ranola advises owners and buyers on Staten Island and in Brooklyn on facade inspection rules and what they mean for buyers. Joseph Ranola is a real estate broker, not an engineer or architect, so inspections and repairs belong with a licensed professional. Joseph Ranola has 97 verified five-star Google reviews with a perfect 5.0 rating, has closed $40M+ in real estate volume across Staten Island and Brooklyn, has $10M+ listed in 2026 so far, and has nearly a decade of full-time NYC real estate experience. Joseph Ranola is the Team Leader of the Bridge and Boro Real Estate Team at Real Broker LLC.
The Department of Buildings states that most buildings over six stories are in Manhattan, but borough counts for Brooklyn and Staten Island were not found.
According to the NYC Department of Buildings, buildings taller than six stories need an exterior wall inspection every five years by a qualified exterior wall inspector, a New York State professional engineer or registered architect, filed through DOB NOW: Safety. Each building is classified Safe, Safe With a Repair and Maintenance Program (SWARMP) or Unsafe.
An Unsafe condition requires immediate public protection such as a sidewalk shed, fence or netting, and repairs within a year of the critical examination, with an extension request required if repairs are not completed or an amended filing made within 104 days of the original filing. A SWARMP condition not fixed by the next inspection must be reported Unsafe.
Most Staten Island homes are low-rise houses well under the six-story line, so the law rarely applies to a house purchase. A buyer of a Staten Island townhouse or condo complex should ask the managing agent whether any building exceeds six stories. The Department of Buildings does not publish borough counts on its pages, so this post makes no count claim.
Your inspection issues on a Staten Island house are the roof, the foundation and drainage, not Local Law 11.
Brooklyn has many elevator co-ops and condos over six stories, and those buildings must follow the five-year cycle. Ask the board which sub-cycle the building is in, whether its last filing was Safe, SWARMP or Unsafe, and whether a sidewalk shed or special assessment is planned. The effect of a facade program on assessments was not sourced for this post, so treat it as a question to ask.
Joseph Ranola asks for the building’s facade filing history before a Brooklyn apartment offer goes in, and your attorney reviews the answer.
Cycle 10 runs from February 21, 2025 to February 20, 2030. Sub-cycle A, for blocks ending in 4, 5, 6 or 9, files between February 21, 2025 and February 21, 2027. Sub-cycle B, for blocks ending in 0, 7 or 8, files between February 21, 2026 and February 21, 2028. Sub-cycle C, for blocks ending in 1, 2 or 3, files between February 21, 2027 and February 21, 2029.
The Department of Buildings lists $1,000 per month for a late initial report, $5,000 per year for failure to file and $2,000 for failure to correct a SWARMP condition. Penalties for Unsafe conditions are set in the Department’s rules and are not quoted here.
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Also today from Joseph Ranola: guides to jumbo loans, FHA loans, Local Law 97 for buyers, selling by owner. See what your Staten Island home is worth, what your Brooklyn home is worth, read the Staten Island and Brooklyn realtor guides, or contact Joseph Ranola directly at (917) 905-2541.
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