Q: What are the indoor health hazards under Local Law 55?

All indoor health hazards which trigger asthma, such as: Mold Rodents Cockroaches Landlords must also apply ongoing measures to ensure that their properties remain free of indoor health hazards.

Question 1

What are the indoor health hazards under Local Law 55?

Accepted Answer

All indoor health hazards which trigger asthma, such as:
​
Mold
Rodents
Cockroaches
​
Landlords must also apply ongoing measures to ensure that their properties remain free of indoor health hazards.

Question 2

What are the requirements of Local Law 55?

Accepted Answer

1. Annually inspect units for indoor allergen hazards such as mice, cockroaches, rats, and mold
2. Provide an annual notice and fact sheet to current and prospective tenants at the time of lease signing or renewal
3. Underlying conditions that cause mold and attract pests must be remediated
4. Integrated pest management processes must be used to address pest infestation
5. Safe work practices must be used to remediate mold and fix causes of the mold issue

Question 3

What are the annual requirements?

Accepted Answer

Landlords are now required to conduct investigations, at least annually, and provide an inspection completion form.  Landlords must also take all necessary measures to keep the property free from indoor allergen hazards and pests and remediate any existing conditions.  However, there are additional circumstances that may warrant additional investigations.
Investigation Requirements
1. Annual Inspection
2. Occupant Complaints​
3. Occupant Requests​
4. DOB Issued Violation
 
A notice must be provided in all tenant leases outlining the new obligations and regulations under Local Law 55.  The notice must be approved by the DOB and made available in multiple languages.

Question 4

Violations for non-compliance

Accepted Answer

The Department of Buildings (DOB) will be issuing violations to any landlord not compliant with the regulations of Local Law 55.  Fines for violations can vary depending on the specifics of the incidence and can be as large as $10,000 per occurrence.  All incidences of hazards must be corrected and a Certificate of Correction must be obtained from a licensed professional and submitted to the DOB.
 
Mold Violations:
If your inspection determines that mold is present, it is important that you immediately correct it to avoid any violations. A mold hazard must be assessed by a New York State (NYS) licensed Mold Assessor and remediated by separate NYS licensed Mold Remediator.
 • Class B & C Violation - Greater than or equal to 10 sq. ft. of visible mold per room
 • Class A Violation - Less than 10 sq. ft. of visible mold per room
Pest Violations:
Integrated pest management practices must be used to remediate the presence of pests.  If a property is found to have pest infestation they will receive a violation.
 • Class C Violation - A dwelling or common area found to have mice, rats, and/or cockroaches
 • Class B Violaion - All other pest infestations
It may be necessary to conduct multiple inspections per year and perform remediation when necessary.  Therefore, it is very important to put effective prevention methods in place to save time and money in the long run.

Question 5

How can you prevent mold?

Accepted Answer

It can be difficult to prevent mold growth when often times the root cause of the problem is hiding and goes undetected until it is too late.  Maypole has many ways where we can detect a potential problem before it becomes an actual problem.  You can read more about mold and mold prevention here.(javascript:void(0))

Question 6

Pest management practices

Accepted Answer

Administrative Code §27-2017.8 of Local Law 55 (2018) states that property owners are required to maintain their properties free of pests. In order to ensure that your property complies with the pest control components of Local Law 55, your buildings must be properly sealed from pests. 
1. Inspect for and remove pest nests, waste, and other debris
2. Eliminate points of entry and passages for pests by repairing and sealing holes, gaps, and/or cracks
3. Remove all sources of water for pests

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Local Law 55 & Local Law 61

The "Asthma-Free Housing Act".

The Asthma Free Housing Act

On January 18th, 2018, New York City Council passed Local Law 55 of 2018 - the "Asthma Free Housing Act". It took effect on January 19th, 2019 and requires multiple-dwelling property owners in NYC to investigate and remove all indoor health hazards which trigger asthma.

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Local Law 61

Local Law 61 establishes filing requirements for mold contractors that carry out mold assessment and mold remediation for buildings that contain 3 or more dwelling units or are located on a zoning lot that contains 25,000 or more square feet of non-residential floor area.

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