Landlord Without Certificate of Occupancy Denied Rent

Building Owner added apartments and lacked new certificate of occupancy. GVS Properties LLC owned a 10-story residential building at 600 West 161st Street in Manhattan. In 1970, GVS Properties received a certificate of occupancy that permitted 53 apartments in the building. In 2014 GVS Properties applied for a certificate of occupancy to validate alterations to the building which had increased the number of apartments to 60. Buildings refused to grant the certificate of occupancy because … <Read More>



Brooklyn Daycare Center Approved Despite C of O

Licensed family daycare center operated in dwelling with residential C of O. Diversity Learning Center, located on the first floor of a three-story building at 193 Sumpter Street in Brooklyn, has operated for 10 years providing day care and educational services. On December 9, 2014, a Buildings officer determined that the operation of Diversity Learning Center conflicted, the certificate of occupancy for the premises. The officer issued a summons charging the owner, Moses Otote, with … <Read More>


Fined $47,400 for unlawful conversion

Owner converted two-family Queens home into a six-family residence.  Jimming Zhao owns a residential building located at 143-10 Beech Avenue, Queens with a certificate of occupancy for a one or two-family dwelling. On October 17, 2016 an inspector from the Department of Buildings visited the premises and found the residence altered and occupied by six families. The second floor had four single room occupancies and the first floor had two single room occupancies.


Owner Fined $2,800 for Illegal Cellar Use

Owner converted cellar into additional living space for his family. Mana Masih owns a two story residence with a cellar at 94-36 114 Street in Queens. The owner converted the cellar level into an additional dwelling unit with three beds in the hall, a three- piece bathroom, a kitchen with a residential sink and gas stove. On November 17, 2015 an inspector from the Department of Buildings served a notice of violation charging that the … <Read More>


DOB Releases Second Annual Construction Safety Report

On March 28, 2022, the Department of Buildings released its next construction safety report for the calendar year 2021. The report highlights and provides analysis for safety trends across the city, provides data regarding incidents and provides descriptions of significant construction incidents, including all nine construction-related fatalities from 2021.