Interactive and print-friendly guide

NYC property due-diligence checklist

Use this sequence to keep property identity, building records, housing records, recorded documents, and surrounding context distinct. Checkboxes stay in this page only and are not sent to LotContext.

Published September 1, 2026 Last reviewed September 1, 2026 LotContext product team · Assertion Labs review

Before you rely on the list

This is a public-record research aid, not a complete professional due-diligence scope. An unchecked item is unfinished; a checked item means only that you reviewed it. Missing public records do not prove compliance, safety, legal occupancy, clear title, or current condition.

1. Property identity

Resolve the lot and building before comparing source records.

Resolve the BBL. Confirm borough, five-digit block, four-digit lot, and the normalized address. Use the BBL/BIN lookup.
Resolve the BIN. Note when NYC GeoSearch does not return one or when a lot has several buildings.
Check condominium structure. Keep a unit billing lot separate from building/base-lot records. BBL vs. BIN guide.
Record retrieval time and match method. Keep address, BBL, BIN, and any ambiguity in the research file.

Official starting source: NYC Planning Labs GeoSearch · checked September 1, 2026.

2. Department of Buildings

Use DOB NOW and BIS because system coverage and transition dates differ.

Search DOB NOW. Review newer job filings, permits, inspections, and supported compliance records.
Search BIS. Review legacy jobs, permits, complaints, violations, actions, and inspections. Compare DOB NOW and BIS.
Separate filings from issued permits. Keep filing, approval, issuance, expiration, inspection, and sign-off dates distinct. DOB permits guide.
Review DOB and OATH/ECB violations. Match violation or summons numbers and verify current status in the official system. Violation guide.
Review Certificates of Occupancy. Compare floor uses, certificate type, issue date, related job, later certificates, and temporary expiration. CO guide.

Official sources: DOB NOW Public Portal · BIS · checked September 1, 2026.

3. Housing and habitability records

Review HPD violations. Preserve class, inspection, certification, status, and update dates; verify material items in HPD Online.
Review HPD complaints and problems. Do not treat a complaint as a verified current condition.
Check orders and registrations where relevant. Confirm vacate-order or building-registration questions in the responsible HPD interface.
Reconcile with DOB. Compare dates and identifiers without assuming an HPD record and DOB record describe the same condition. HPD guide.

Official source: HPD Online · checked September 1, 2026.

4. Ownership and recorded documents

Search ACRIS by parcel. Confirm the BBL, document ID, type, document date, recorded date, parties, and image link.
Open material document images. Review deeds, mortgages, assignments, satisfactions, agreements, and referenced instruments rather than relying on index labels.
Account for coverage. ACRIS does not provide the same land-record coverage for Staten Island; older/certified records may require a clerk or borough office.
Do not infer clear title. Recorded-document research is not a title examination. ACRIS guide.

Official source: NYC ACRIS · checked September 1, 2026.

5. Planning and surrounding context

Review PLUTO and zoning. Record lot attributes, zoning districts, overlays, and dataset vintage; confirm material zoning questions with City Planning.
Review 311 as dated context. Separate parcel-matched requests from nearby requests and do not convert a request into a verified violation. 311 guide.
Check flood/environmental context when the decision calls for it. Use the responsible current map or professional report; LotContext does not currently claim comprehensive environmental diligence.
Record every unavailable source. A timeout or schema failure is not a successful empty result.

Official starting sources: ZoLa · NYC 311 · checked September 1, 2026.

Run the supported research in one private workspace

LotContext keeps returned records, source status, retrieval time, parcel evidence, and nearby context reviewable. Existing account verification, free limits, and report authorization still apply.

Start with BBL/BIN Create a free account View sample report