Article 32 for Property Managers: How to Hire a Mold Assessor and Remediator in NYC

You got the HPD notice, or your Local Law 55 inspection turned up mold in 4B. Either way, you now have a deadline, a tenant waiting, and a New York law that tells you exactly who’s allowed to fix it. Hire a mold assessor and remediator in the wrong order and you can do the work twice.

This guide covers Article 32 for property managers, supers and owners of Inwood and Upper Manhattan buildings. It covers what Article 32 of the New York Labor Law actually requires, when it applies, how to hire the assessor and remediator in the right order, and the paperwork you need at the end.

Inwood Buildings and Article 32: The Numbers

What does Article 32 require from property managers?

Separate, licensed companies for assessment and remediation. For any mold project over 10 square feet, New York Labor Law Article 32 requires a licensed mold assessor to write the plan and a different licensed remediation contractor to do the work. The same licensee can’t do both on one property, and nobody can own a stake in both. A licensed assessor then clears the work in writing.

The law came in after Superstorm Sandy, when too many “we test and remove” outfits diagnosed big problems and then billed to fix them. Splitting the two roles takes that incentive away. For a property manager, it also means you get a paper trail that holds up with HPD, in Housing Court and with your insurer.

When do you need licensed mold professionals in NYC?

Over 10 square feet, in buildings with 10 or more units. That’s the line in practice for Inwood. Article 32 defines a mold “project” as more than 10 square feet, and HPD requires owners of buildings with 10 or more units to hire NYS Department of Labor licensed assessors and remediators for mold above that size.

What about the Article 32 exemption for owners and supers? Section 933 exempts an owner, managing agent or their full-time employee doing mold work on their own buildings, as long as they don’t offer mold work to the public. It’s real, but in NYC it rarely helps: HPD’s licensing requirement for 10+ unit buildings still applies, and 86% of Inwood’s residential buildings are that size.

How do you hire a mold assessor and remediator the right way?

Assessor first, remediator second, assessor again at the end. Verify both licenses, have the independent assessor write the remediation plan, get the remediator’s work plan before site prep, notify occupants, complete the work and moisture repair, then get the assessor’s written passed clearance report before filing with HPD. Hiring in this order keeps you compliant and keeps the scope honest:

What must the assessor’s mold remediation plan include?

Eight required items, under NY Labor Law 945. The assessor’s plan must list the work areas, estimated quantities of material, removal methods, protective equipment, clearance criteria, how occupants will be notified, a cost and time estimate, and the underlying moisture sources. If a plan you receive is missing any of these, send it back before work starts:

• The rooms or areas where work will happen
• Estimated quantities of materials to clean or remove
• Remediation methods for each type of area
• Protective equipment the remediator must supply
• Clearance procedures and criteria
• How building occupants will be notified
• An estimated cost and time frame
• The underlying sources of moisture, with recommendations

That last item is the one that matters most in a pre-war Inwood building. If the plan doesn’t name the riser, roof, pointing or condensation feeding the mold, you’ll be back with a second violation. More on why in why pre-war Inwood buildings get mold.

What questions should you ask before hiring?

Ask five questions before you sign. Ask for the NYS DOL license number, whether the company shares ownership with the assessor, whether you get a written work plan before site prep, who fixes the moisture source, and whether they can meet your HPD deadline. A contractor who answers all five clearly, in writing, is usually safe to hire.

Red flags: anyone offering to “test and remove” as one package on a job over 10 square feet, anyone who won’t put a price in writing, and anyone whose scope doesn’t mention the water.

How long does the Article 32 process take for an HPD violation?

About 1 to 3 weeks for a typical apartment. Allow a few days to schedule the assessor, 1 to 3 days for the remediation itself, drying time, then clearance sampling with lab results in roughly 3 to 5 business days. HPD gives 90 days for Class A (under 10 sq ft), 30 days for Class B (10 to 29 sq ft) and 21 days for Class C (30 sq ft or more). Start the day the notice arrives.

Next steps after a violation are in what to do after an HPD mold violation, and annual duties are in the Local Law 55 compliance checklist.

How do we work with Inwood property managers?

We remediate, and we handle the coordination. We bring in an independent licensed assessor with no ownership ties to us, work from their plan, fix or scope the moisture source, and hand you the documents you need for HPD and your files: plan, work plan, photos and the passed clearance report.

Prefer to start by email? Send a photo of the HPD notice or the LL55 inspection finding, the building address and the unit numbers to info@moldremovalinwoodny.com. We’ll reply with the violation class, a realistic timeline against your correction date, and next steps.

For multi-unit buildings we schedule around tenant access, give written notice templates, and can phase work across several apartments on the same riser line. We work Inwood, Washington Heights and Marble Hill. Full landlord guidance is in our landlord compliance guide. If you need help with Article 32 for property managers across Inwood and Upper Manhattan, call (917) 694-9003.

Frequently Asked Questions: Article 32 for Property Managers