Where does the worst landlords data come from?

Our rankings are built from publicly available NYC Open Data, including HPD violation records, HPD complaint data, DOB violations, and property registration records. This data is published by city agencies and updated on a rolling basis.

Can I look up a specific building or landlord?

Yes. Our tool lets you search by building address or landlord/management company name. You can see violation counts, complaint history, and how a landlord ranks compared to others in the city.

Is the worst landlords tool only for NYC?

Currently, our rankings cover New York City, where comprehensive public violation data is available through NYC Open Data. We plan to expand to other cities as we gain access to comparable public datasets.

How can I use this information if I'm already renting?

Understanding your landlord's violation history helps you build a case for repairs, file effective 311 complaints, negotiate with leverage, and prepare evidence for small claims court if needed. A pattern of violations demonstrates neglect.

How often is the data updated?

We pull from NYC Open Data, which is updated by city agencies on a rolling basis. Our tool reflects recent violations and complaints, giving you an up-to-date picture of a landlord's track record.

New York City

NYC's Worst Landlords: Look Up Your Building's Track Record

Filed: 2026-02-11•Ref: WORS

Written by Common Counsel Legal Team

Reviewed by

Common Counsel

Key Takeaways

1Public violation and complaint data reveals which landlords have the worst track records
2NYC's worst landlords have hundreds of open violations across their buildings
3You can look up any NYC building to see its violation history before signing a lease
4Use our free tool to search landlords and buildings by name or address

Before you sign a lease, wouldn't you want to know if your future landlord has a history of ignoring repairs, racking up violations, or neglecting tenant safety? In New York City, all of this information is public record—but it's buried across multiple city databases. We've done the work to compile it into a single, searchable ranking.

Free Tool

Worst Landlords Lookup

Search by landlord name or building address. See violation counts, complaint history, and overall rankings.

Free

Look Up a Landlord

Why Landlord Track Records Matter

A landlord's history of building violations is one of the strongest predictors of your future living experience. Landlords with long records of open violations tend to:

Ignore maintenance requests — If they're not fixing city-cited violations, they're unlikely to respond to your repair requests
Create unsafe living conditions — Open violations for lead paint, mold, pest infestations, and fire safety issues put tenants at risk
Fight deposit returns — Negligent landlords are more likely to withhold security deposits unfairly
Retaliate against complaints — Tenants who report issues may face harassment or bogus eviction attempts

Red Flags to Watch For

If a building has multiple open violations for the same issue (e.g., repeated pest complaints or mold), it's a sign the landlord is ignoring the problem rather than fixing it. Our tool shows you exactly how many open vs. closed violations a building has.

What Data Do We Use?

Our rankings are built from publicly available NYC data sources, including:

HPD Violations — Housing Preservation & Development violation records for building code infractions
HPD Complaints — Tenant-filed complaints about conditions like heat, hot water, pests, and mold
DOB Violations — Department of Buildings violations for structural and safety issues
Property registration data — Links buildings to their registered owners and management companies

Data Is Updated Regularly

We pull from NYC Open Data, which is updated by city agencies on a rolling basis. This means our rankings reflect recent violations and complaints, not just historical data.

How to Use This Information

Before Signing a Lease

Look up the building address in our tool before you commit. Pay attention to:

Total violation count — A high number relative to building size is a red flag
Open vs. closed violations — Many open violations means the landlord isn't addressing issues
Violation types — Lead paint, mold, and pest violations are especially concerning for health
Complaint patterns — Repeated complaints for heat or hot water suggest chronic neglect

If You're Already a Tenant

Understanding your landlord's track record can help you:

Build a case for repairs — Document the pattern of neglect to strengthen complaints
File effective 311 complaints — Knowing what violations already exist helps you file targeted complaints
Negotiate with leverage — Landlords with extensive violation records are more motivated to settle disputes
Prepare for small claims — Violation history is powerful evidence in habitability and deposit disputes

NYC's Worst Offenders

Some landlords in New York City have accumulated hundreds—even thousands—of violations across their portfolios. These are often large property management companies that own dozens of buildings and systematically underinvest in maintenance.

Our ranking tool lets you see the top offenders by city, search for specific landlords by name, and drill into individual buildings to see their full violation and complaint history.

Search by Landlord Name Too

Not sure which buildings your landlord owns? Search by their name or management company to see their full portfolio and aggregate violation count across all properties.