NYC Local Law 55 Mold Compliance Checklist for Inwood Landlords

Most Inwood landlords know Local Law 55 exists. Far fewer have actually read what it requires – and the gap between knowing about it and being compliant with it is where HPD violations, tenant complaints, and Housing Court cases come from.

Local Law 55 of 2018 – formally the Asthma-Free Housing Act – was written specifically to address the kind of reactive, complaint-driven mold management that had been the norm in NYC multi-family housing for decades. The law changed that: it made mold prevention a proactive annual obligation, not an optional response to tenant complaints. In Inwood’s pre-war building stock – the six-story masonry walk-ups along Seaman, Payson, Post, and the Dyckman corridor – the conditions that create mold are structural and predictable. The law treats them accordingly.

This checklist covers every obligation the law places on landlords of covered buildings, the thresholds that trigger Article 32 licensing requirements, and the documentation you need to demonstrate compliance if HPD ever asks.

Which buildings are covered by Local Law 55?

All NYC residential buildings with three or more dwelling units. This covers virtually every multi-family rental property in Inwood – the pre-war six-story walk-ups, the Art Deco elevator buildings west of Broadway, mixed-use buildings with residential units above ground-floor retail, and larger apartment complexes along the Dyckman corridor.

If you own or manage a building in this neighborhood with three or more apartments, Local Law 55 applies to you. There is no minimum unit count exception within the covered range, no grandfather provision for older buildings, and no exception for rent-stabilized stock – where tenants have long tenures and deferred moisture damage compounds over years.

What does NYC Local Law 55 require of landlords?

Local Law 55 imposes five core obligations on NYC landlords of buildings with 3 or more units: annual inspections of every unit for mold and pests, written notice of findings, prompt remediation, tenant notification, and documentation of compliance. Every covered building must meet all five – not just the ones that triggered a complaint.

1. Annual inspection of every residential unit

At least once per year, the landlord must inspect every apartment in the building for mold and moisture conditions. Not just the units where tenants have complained. Not just the basement and common areas. Every unit, every year.

In practice, this means gaining access to every apartment – which requires proper notice to tenants under the lease and applicable rent stabilization law. The inspection should cover bathrooms, kitchens, areas around windows and exterior walls, closets on exterior-facing walls, and any areas near known moisture sources like pipe chases and risers. In Inwood’s older buildings, particular attention should go to top-floor units (roof leak risk), ground-floor and basement-adjacent units (foundation moisture), and any unit on a riser that has had prior leak complaints.

2. Remediation of any mold found

If the annual inspection finds mold, the landlord must remediate it. The law does not specify a timeline for remediation within the annual inspection cycle, but HPD violation cure windows apply if a violation is issued – approximately 30 days for Class B, 21 days for Class C. The remediation standard is actual removal and moisture-source correction, not painting over the visible growth.

Timing matters in Inwood. Mold complaints in ZIP 10034 peak in October, right after heat season starts, and are lowest in May and June (see the Inwood data). Scheduling your annual inspection in late summer catches problems before tenants start reporting them.

For mold areas of 10 or more square feet in a building with 10 or more units, Article 32 licensing requirements apply – see below. For smaller areas in smaller buildings, the work can be done without Article 32 licensing, but it still must actually fix the moisture source or the mold will return and the next inspection will find it again.

3. Provide the DOHMH Indoor Allergens fact sheet to tenants

Landlords must provide tenants with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Indoor Allergens fact sheet:

• At the time of lease signing for new tenants
• At each lease renewal
• Annually, to all tenants in covered buildings

Failure to provide this document is itself a Local Law 55 violation, separate from any mold finding. It is one of the most commonly missed obligations – and one of the easiest to satisfy. The fact sheet is available on the DOHMH website and can be distributed by email or physical delivery. Keep a record of distribution with dates.

4. Investigate and address moisture sources

The law requires landlords to investigate the source of any moisture or mold found and take steps to eliminate it. This is the obligation most landlords try to shortcut – treating the surface mold without addressing the riser leak, the roof flashing failure, or the bathroom exhaust that has not worked since 2015. Surface treatment without moisture-source correction is not compliance. It is a temporary fix that will produce another violation within a season.

In Inwood’s pre-war stock, the most common moisture sources requiring investigation are: supply riser leaks inside wall cavities, bathroom exhaust systems with inadequate draw, parapet and roof flashing failures on top-floor units, and foundation moisture in ground-floor and basement-adjacent apartments – especially in buildings along the lower-grade streets east of Broadway that took on groundwater during Sandy in 2012 and Ida in 2021.

5. Maintain inspection and remediation records

Keep written records of annual inspections – dates, units inspected, findings, and any remediation performed. HPD can request these records. If a violation is issued and you are claiming compliance, the records are what demonstrate it. If a tenant files an HP Action and alleges you have not been maintaining the property, records showing documented annual inspections are a significant defense.

Records should include: inspection dates and inspector identity, units inspected and findings per unit, any remediation work performed with dates and contractor information, and distribution records for the DOHMH fact sheet.

When does Local Law 55 require an Article 32 licensed contractor?

When mold covers 10 or more square feet in a building with 10 or more dwelling units, Article 32 applies on top of Local Law 55. A licensed mold assessor must write the remediation plan and a separately licensed mold remediation contractor must complete the work using containment barriers, HEPA filtration, and IICRC S520-standard clearance testing. The same company cannot legally do both – this is the core Article 32 rule.

This is the threshold that most Inwood multi-family buildings will hit when they have a real mold problem – not a small bathroom spot, but a wall section, a basement area, or anything that has been growing unchecked for more than a few weeks.

At this threshold, the law requires:

A licensed Mold Assessor who inspects, documents the extent, identifies the moisture source, and produces a written remediation plan before any work begins. This assessor must be independently licensed – not employed by or affiliated with the remediation contractor.

A licensed Mold Remediation Contractor who performs the work according to the assessor’s written plan. Separately licensed from the assessor. The same company legally cannot do both – this is the core anti-fraud provision of Article 32, written specifically to prevent the kind of scare-and-upsell scheme that spread in NYC after Sandy.

Independent post-remediation clearance testing by a licensed assessor who did not perform the remediation. Air and surface sampling sent to an accredited lab confirming the space is clean. Without this, the remediation is self-certified – which is exactly what Article 32 was written to prohibit.

All license numbers – assessor, remediator, individual abatement workers – are verifiable at dol.ny.gov. Verify before you sign any contract, not after.

Local Law 55 annual compliance checklist – what to do each year

Local Law 55 requires annual inspections of every unit for mold and pests, completed before year-end. This checklist covers every obligation the law places on covered NYC buildings. Article 32 licensing requirements apply separately when remediation exceeds 10 square feet in buildings with 10 or more units.

Before the inspection cycle:

• Schedule annual inspection dates for all units – provide proper tenant notice per lease and applicable law
• Prepare the DOHMH Indoor Allergens fact sheet for distribution
• Review prior year inspection records and any mold complaints received since the last inspection
• Identify any known building moisture issues (pipe leaks, roof condition, exhaust systems) that should be specifically checked

During inspections:

• Inspect every unit – bathrooms, kitchens, closets on exterior walls, window surrounds, areas near pipe chases
• Document findings in writing for each unit – date, unit number, findings (mold present / not present / moisture conditions noted), approximate affected area size if mold found
• Photograph any mold or moisture conditions found
• Distribute the DOHMH fact sheet and document distribution with tenant signature or delivery confirmation

After findings – remediation:

• For mold under 10 sq ft (or buildings under 10 units): arrange remediation with qualified workers, document the work and moisture-source correction, follow up within 30 days to confirm mold has not returned
• For mold 10 sq ft or more in a building with 10+ units: engage a licensed mold assessor (Article 32) for written remediation plan before any work starts – verify license at dol.ny.gov
• Engage a separately licensed mold remediation contractor to perform work per the written plan
• Arrange independent clearance testing by a licensed assessor who did not do the remediation
• Keep all contractor documentation – license numbers, scope of work, lab results

Records to maintain:

• Signed inspection logs with dates and unit-by-unit findings
• Remediation records including contractor license numbers and scope of work
• Clearance testing lab results for any Article 32 remediation
• DOHMH fact sheet distribution records with dates
• Any HPD violation notices received and Certifications of Correction filed

What are the most common Local Law 55 compliance failures in Inwood buildings?

The most common Local Law 55 compliance failures in Inwood’s pre-war buildings are skipped annual inspections, undocumented repairs, and using unlicensed contractors for mold projects that required Article 32 licensing. Any of these creates HPD violation exposure and potential fines up to $10,000.

Skipping units where tenants are difficult to schedule. The law requires every unit, every year. A tenant who does not respond to inspection notices does not excuse the obligation – it requires documented attempts and, if necessary, legal process to gain access. “We could not get in” is not a defense.

Not distributing the DOHMH fact sheet. Simple to fix, often completely forgotten. This is one of the first things HPD checks and one of the easiest violations to avoid.

Treating surface mold without finding the moisture source. The most expensive compliance failure in the long run. A building super who cleans visible mold with bleach and marks the unit as remediated has not complied with the law – and the mold will be back before the next annual inspection.

Using unlicensed contractors for Article 32 threshold jobs. A general contractor or handyman does not satisfy Article 32 licensing requirements. A Certification of Correction filed without licensed contractor documentation is defective – the violation remains legally open even if the mold is physically gone.

Not keeping records. Annual inspections with no written documentation leave you with nothing to show HPD, nothing to counter a tenant’s claim of ongoing neglect, and nothing to support a Certification of Correction if a violation is issued.

What are the annual inspection requirements for 3+ unit buildings?

If your building has three or more apartments, Local Law 55 requires you to inspect every unit for mold and pests at least once a year, respond to complaints from tenants and HPD, make sure vacant units are cleaned and free of mold before a new tenant moves in, and give each tenant the city fact sheet and notice with the lease.

In Inwood that covers almost every rental building. 86% of residential buildings in ZIP 10034 have 10 or more units, and the median building dates to 1926 (see our Inwood mold data). The rules below come from HPD’s Indoor Allergen Hazards page.

What should an annual Local Law 55 inspection cover?

A useful annual inspection checks every place moisture collects in a pre-war unit, asks the tenant about leaks, mold and pests, and records what was found with a date and photos. HPD publishes a sample investigative report you can model your form on. In Inwood walk-ups, check these spots in every unit:

• Under kitchen and bathroom sinks, and around the tub and shower
• Ceilings below the roof and below bathrooms on the floor above
• Exterior walls, window sills and the corners behind furniture
• Around steam radiators and riser pipes
• Closets on exterior walls, plus the basement, cellar and common hallways

What do you have to do when an apartment goes vacant?

Before a new tenant moves in, the vacant apartment must be thoroughly cleaned and free of mold and pests. Turnover is the cheapest time to deal with it: the unit is empty, walls can be opened, and you can fix the leak and document the apartment clean before anyone signs a lease.

When does an inspection finding need licensed contractors?

In a building with 10 or more units, any mold condition over 10 square feet must be assessed by a New York State licensed mold assessor and remediated by a separate, independent licensed remediator. Both file with DEP under Local Law 61 and give you copies of their licenses and filing receipts. You need those documents to certify correction of a Class B or Class C mold violation.

In buildings under 10 units, or for smaller areas, you can use your own staff, but HPD still requires safe work practices: fix the moisture source, isolate the area with plastic sheeting, keep dust down, clean with soap or detergent and water, throw out materials that can’t be cleaned, and leave the area dry and visibly free of mold and dust. Full rules are on our NYC mold laws page.

How we help Inwood landlords meet Local Law 55 requirements

We handle the remediation side of Article 32 compliance. When a finding is over the 10 square foot threshold, an independent licensed assessor writes the remediation plan and runs the clearance test after we finish, and we coordinate that assessor for you. For landlords who want to stay ahead of Local Law 55 instead of reacting to violations, we can walk units across multiple buildings, fix what turns up, and hand you the paperwork HPD asks for.

We know what the common moisture conditions look like in Inwood’s 1920s masonry buildings – the riser leak patterns, the top-floor roof-adjacent moisture, the ground-floor foundation conditions that recur in buildings along certain streets. A compliance inspection from someone who knows this building stock is more useful than a generic walkthrough.

Call (917) 694-9003. We work with small landlords managing three to twenty units who want to stay ahead of Local Law 55, and with larger property managers who need documented annual compliance across multiple Inwood buildings. Tell us what you have and we will tell you what the process looks like.

We handle Local Law 55 mold work across Inwood (ZIP 10034) and nearby Upper Manhattan, including Washington Heights and Marble Hill.