Your radiator’s been dead since Sunday. The ceiling in the bathroom has a leak that’s now a bulge. You’ve texted your super three times and gotten nothing back. What do you actually do?
In New York City, you file a complaint with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) — and you do it through 311. It’s free, it’s anonymous if you want it to be, and it triggers a legally-enforced inspection and repair timeline your landlord doesn’t get to ignore. But only if you know how to file it correctly and what to do after. Here’s the full playbook.
Start With Your Landlord — But Set a Clock
Before filing, HPD and the Legal Aid Society both recommend contacting your landlord or managing agent first. Send the request in writing — text or email counts — so you have a record. Give a reasonable window (24 hours for emergencies like no heat or a gas leak; 3–7 days for non-emergency repairs). If nothing happens, move to 311.
Why bother with the written request? Two reasons. One, some landlords really will respond. Two, if you end up in Housing Court later, that paper trail proves you gave notice and the landlord failed to act.
How to File a 311 Housing Complaint
You have four filing options, per the official HPD complaint page:
- Call 311 (or 212-NEW-YORK from outside NYC). Tell the operator the nature of the problem and your address.
- Use the NYC311 mobile app (iOS and Android). This is the fastest option and lets you upload photos.
- File online at portal.311.nyc.gov. Search “Apartment Maintenance Complaint.”
- Text 311-692 for certain complaint types.
You’ll be asked for your name and contact info. You can request confidentiality — HPD won’t share your identity with the landlord, though the inspector will need to enter your apartment.
What Information to Have Ready
- Complete building address and your apartment number
- Specific description of the problem (e.g., “No heat, thermostat reads 58°F at 9 a.m.,” not “heat broken”)
- How long the condition has existed
- Whether you’ve contacted the landlord and when
- Photos or videos if you can — the mobile app lets you upload directly
Save the Service Request (SR) number you’re given. Every follow-up call, every piece of evidence, every court filing ties back to that number.
Inspection Timelines Depend on Severity
Per the HPD complaint portal, inspection timelines are tiered by the danger level of the condition:
- Emergency conditions (no heat in winter, no water, gas leak, sewage backup): HPD typically inspects within 24 hours.
- Hazardous conditions (water leaks, broken windows, pest infestations): inspections within roughly 5–10 days.
- Non-hazardous conditions (cosmetic issues, minor wear): 30+ days.
You — or another adult — need to be home when the inspector comes, or they can’t enter. HPD doesn’t give exact arrival windows; keep your phone on and be flexible. If they can’t get in, they’ll leave a card, and you’ll need to call to reschedule.
What Gets Issued — and What It Means
If the inspector confirms the condition, HPD issues a violation against the building. Violations come in three classes, each with its own deadline for the landlord to fix the problem:
- Class A (Non-hazardous): Minor issues — a missing apartment number, minor non-lead paint peeling, a broken doorbell. Landlord has 90 days to correct.
- Class B (Hazardous): Conditions that threaten health or safety — no hot water, inadequate heat (below 68°F during the day or 62°F at night during heat season), broken locks, pest infestations. Landlord has 30 days to correct.
- Class C (Immediately Hazardous): The most severe — no heat at all, lead paint in an apartment with a child under 6, gas leaks, structural collapse risk, no running water. Landlord has 24 hours to correct, and certain Class C conditions (like lead paint hazards) must be fixed within 21 days.
Uncorrected violations accrue daily fines against the landlord. According to DobGuard’s 2026 HPD violations guide, Class A carries $10–$50/day, Class B carries $25–$100/day, and Class C carries $50–$250/day.
Your Rights Are Backed by the Warranty of Habitability
Every residential lease in New York City contains, by operation of law, a warranty of habitability. This is codified in NYS Real Property Law Section 235-b, and it’s the backbone of the entire repair-rights system. It guarantees that your apartment, the common areas, and the building itself will be fit for human habitation and free of conditions dangerous to life, health, or safety.
Filing an HPD complaint is one way to enforce that warranty. If the landlord still doesn’t repair, tenants can escalate to Housing Court via an HP Action — a case that asks a judge to order the landlord to make repairs. HP Actions are filed in Housing Court and can be started without a lawyer.
Retaliation Is Illegal
Your landlord cannot legally retaliate against you for filing a 311 complaint. Under New York Real Property Law §223-b, any rent increase, non-renewal, eviction attempt, or reduction in services that happens within six months of a good-faith complaint is presumed retaliatory. If you think you’re being punished for reporting conditions, document everything and contact a tenant-rights attorney.
Action Steps
- Text or email your landlord first — in writing, with photos — and give them a reasonable deadline (24 hours for emergencies).
- If they don’t respond, file an HPD complaint through the NYC311 portal, the NYC311 mobile app, or by calling 311.
- Save your Service Request number and all photos. Create a simple folder on your phone for this one complaint.
- Be home for the inspection window — inspectors don’t schedule exact times.
- Check for open violations on your building at HPD’s online lookup to see if the violation has been issued and what class it is.
- If repairs still don’t happen, contact free tenant legal help. The Legal Aid Society and Housing Court Answers both assist tenants in filing HP Actions at no cost.
- If you suspect retaliation, document every interaction and email tenantprotectionunit@nyshcr.ny.gov or call the NYS Tenant Protection Unit at 718-739-6400.
A 311 complaint isn’t confrontational — it’s procedural. You’re using a system that was built for exactly this moment. Your landlord knows the rules. Now you do, too.
