In 2025 New York City enacted Local Law 49, a significant amendment to the city’s façade inspection requirements. These changes adjust the long-standing Façade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP), introduce flexible inspection cycles, and push out the first inspection deadline for new buildings. For building owners, property managers, and compliance consultants, the implications are wide-reaching — from scheduling and budgeting to enforcement risk management.
Quick overview: what changed
- Flexible inspection intervals: the rigid 5-year cycle requirement was replaced with a range — periodic inspection intervals will be set by DOB and may fall anywhere between 6 and 12 years.
- Delayed first inspection for new buildings: the initial façade inspection for new construction is moved from year 5 to the 8th year after exterior walls are installed.
- DOB study and rulemaking: DOB must study the program and recommend exact cycle lengths and implementation details; the agency will publish rules that building owners must follow.
Background: FISP and why façade inspections exist
The Façade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP) — originally established by Local Law 11 — requires owners of most buildings taller than six stories to have a Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector (QEWI) (a licensed architect or professional engineer) perform a “critical examination” of exterior walls and appurtenances. Inspectors submit findings to the Department of Buildings (DOB) and classify façades as Safe, Safe with Repair and Maintenance Program (SWARMP), or Unsafe. Unsafe conditions trigger repair requirements and often require additional filings, permits, or protective measures (like sidewalk sheds).
Under the prior framework, façades were examined on a fixed five-year cycle that is staggered across the city. That structure has been in place for decades and has driven planning, budgeting, and contractor scheduling for building owners and engineers alike.
Exactly what Local Law 49 (2025) changes
Local Law 49 doesn’t eliminate façade inspections — it modernizes and adds flexibility to the scheduling and administrative rules that govern them. The key specifics building owners should understand are:
1. Inspection intervals become flexible (6–12 years)
Instead of requiring façade examinations strictly every five years, the law allows DOB to set periodic inspection intervals within a 6-to-12-year range. Practically speaking, DOB will study and recommend which interval makes sense for various building types, heights, and risk profiles. Once DOB issues its rules, a given building’s next inspection date may be longer than five years — possibly 6, 7, or even 10+ years, depending on the final rules.
2. First-time examination for new buildings is delayed to year 8
Previously, newly erected buildings were scheduled for their first façade inspection five years after completion. Under Local Law 49, that first mandatory inspection is deferred until the eighth year after the exterior was installed. That gives developers and owners extra runway before the first formal FISP review.
3. DOB must study the program and publish a recommendation
Local Law 49 requires DOB to perform a study and recommend the inspection schedule and related implementation details. The study and rulemaking process will give stakeholders visibility into how the new intervals will be applied and allow building owners to prepare accordingly.
What this means for compliance strategy
The changes under Local Law 49 require owners and managers to adjust how they plan inspections, budget for repairs, and manage risk. Here are the most important practical implications and recommended adjustments:
Plan inspection schedules proactively
Because inspection cycles may lengthen, owners should watch DOB’s rulemaking closely and update their compliance calendars. Even if your building is not due for inspection under the old rules until a later year, a new DOB schedule could change that date — or push it further out. Conservative owners will plan earlier checks or interim condition surveys, especially for older façades.
Budget for concentrated maintenance
Longer intervals concentrate the period between mandated inspections, which can increase the scope and cost of repairs when they do occur. Consider allocating a portion of your maintenance budget to proactive façade upkeep to avoid larger corrective projects later.
Monitor new building timelines
For newly constructed properties, update all compliance calendars and lender/insurer disclosures to reflect that the first FISP inspection will arrive in the 8th year instead of the 5th year. That shift can affect refinancing timelines, lease negotiations, and transfer-of-title due diligence.
Fix unsafe conditions quickly
Local Law 49 accompanies a broader city agenda to shorten shed durations and accelerate repairs. Many related laws and rules focus on faster remediation and higher penalties for delays. When a QEWI flags Unsafe or SWARMP conditions, mobilize contractors right away — prolonged exposure to unsafe conditions increases risk and can bring overlapping DOB and HPD enforcement.
Enforcement landscape: DOB violations and HPD violations
Owners must think about parallel enforcement streams. Two agencies commonly interact with façade issues:
- Department of Buildings (DOB): handles façade technical report filings, classifications, and related summonses. Typical DOB violations include “failure to file a façade technical report” or “failure to maintain building walls.” Repeated or unresolved DOB violations may escalate to Environmental Control Board (ECB) fines or stop-work orders.
- Housing Preservation & Development (HPD): enforces the Housing Maintenance Code and can issue violations if a façades condition creates hazardous conditions for occupants or the public. HPD violations for unsafe conditions can carry their own timelines and significant per-day fines.
A single deteriorating condition can trigger both a DOB violation (for façade report/maintenance) and an HPD violation (for creating an unsafe condition). Recent municipal enforcement trends show more aggressive oversight: the city has prioritized reducing long-standing sidewalk sheds and tightening timelines for repairs. This means owners face a higher chance of receiving DOB violations or HPD violations if they delay remediations.
Why centralized compliance tracking is now essential
The regulatory landscape in NYC is complicated — different agencies publish records using different systems, and new local laws (like Local Law 49) can change the rules you must follow. Manual tracking via spreadsheets or ad-hoc reminders is no longer sufficient. Centralized NYC building compliance software brings multiple benefits:
- Aggregate agency data: Pull in DOB filings, HPD violations, ECB summonses, and other agency records into one dashboard.
- Real-time alerts: Receive notifications when a new DOB violation or HPD violation is issued so you can act immediately.
- Track tasks and ownership: Assign repairs and follow work progress, upload permits and receipts, and maintain an audit trail.
- Maintain historical records: Keep past façade reports, photos, and contractor invoices organized for due diligence, refinancing, or dispute resolution.
Given the expanded inspection windows under Local Law 49, maintaining an accurate log of interim repairs and proactive inspections will be a key defense against escalated penalties and claims of neglect.
How Propmaticly helps with Local Law 49 compliance
Propmaticly is designed to be a practical partner for building owners and managers navigating this shifting landscape. As a purpose-built nyc building compliance software, Propmaticly aggregates data from DOB, HPD, ECB, and other relevant agencies — and syncs daily — so teams always have the most up-to-date picture of compliance status.
Key benefits for FISP and façade compliance:
- Daily sync of DOB and HPD records: Propmaticly captures new DOB violations and HPD violations as they are issued so your team can respond quickly.
- Inspection scheduling and reminders: The platform will help you track upcoming façade inspection windows and will adapt to DOB’s new 6–12 year schedule when the rules are published.
- Portfolio view: If you manage multiple properties, Propmaticly highlights which addresses have outstanding façade issues or upcoming deadlines so you can prioritize resources.
- Document management: Upload façade technical reports, permits, invoices, photos, and correspondence so everything related to a DOB violation or HPD violation is in one place.
- Team workflows: Assign tasks to staff or contractors, set target completion dates, and log completion to prove timely remediation to DOB or HPD inspectors.
Whether you need a public-facing status check for a single address or enterprise-level portfolio management, Propmaticly offers tiers that serve both. The public search tool provides basic visibility into open violations by address (no registration required), and the professional tier provides alerts, reporting, and team workflows that are crucial for proactive compliance management.
Action checklist for building owners and managers
Use the following checklist to prepare for Local Law 49 and its aftereffects:
- Subscribe to DOB rule updates: Monitor DOB announcements and guidance so you know exactly how your building’s inspection cycle will be calculated under the new 6–12 year framework.
- Update your compliance calendar: Change the expected first-inspection date for new buildings to year 8, and keep an eye on other buildings once DOB publishes its new cycle schedule.
- Complete a proactive condition survey: Consider an interim façade survey between mandated cycles to catch deterioration early and reduce the scope of repairs later.
- Document repairs and maintenance: Keep detailed records and photos of any façade work to show inspectors and to support filings with DOB or HPD if questions arise.
- Use centralized compliance software: Implement a tool that tracks DOB violations and HPD violations, manages documents, and sends alerts for new enforcement actions.
- Train your team: Ensure building staff know how to respond to unsafe findings quickly — from securing the area to scheduling repairs and filing reports.
Conclusion
Local Law 49 (2025) marks a notable change in NYC façade oversight: inspection cycles will become more flexible (between 6 and 12 years) and new buildings get their first mandatory inspection in the 8th year instead of the 5th. While that flexibility may reduce short-term inspection frequency, it raises the stakes for proactive maintenance, documentation, and rapid remediation of unsafe conditions. Because DOB and HPD enforcement remains robust, owners should prioritize accurate tracking of DOB violations and HPD violations to avoid fines and public-safety liabilities.
Adopting modern NYC building compliance software is one of the most effective ways to stay ahead: it consolidates agency data, provides real-time alerts, and creates clear workflows so no violation goes unnoticed. Propmaticly was built for this exact challenge — daily-synced DOB and HPD data, inspection scheduling, document management, and team tasking all in a single dashboard.
If you manage buildings in New York City, now is the time to review your façade plans, update calendars, and consider a centralized compliance solution. Visit Propmaticly to try the public search tool or to schedule a demo of the professional platform.
