A DOB Violation occurs when a property is not in compliance with applicable law. It includes an order from the Commissioner of Buildings to correct the violating condition. You will be able to get a Certificate of Occupancy once the property’s violation is corrected and entered into the Department’s Buildings Information System (BIS).

Classes of NYC DOB Violations

There are three classes of violations issued by the DOB:

• Class 1- Immediate violations pose an immediate threat to life, health, safety, property, the public interest, or a significant number of people. These violations must be corrected immediately.
• Class 2 Violations -Major violations are those that fall under the New York City Construction Codes or ones where the violating condition could negatively affect life, health, safety, property etc. They also don’t require immediate corrective action. With outdoor advertising for example, these types of violations and penalty act as a financial deterrent to stop people from continuing or repeating said condition.
• Class 3 Violations – Lesser violations are those where the violating condition has a lesser effect than an immediately hazardous (Class 1) or major violation (Class 2) on life, health, safety, property, or the public interest. Lesser violations shall be denominated as Class 3 violations.
  
  

Types of DOB violations

DOB violations come in different shapes and sizes – each violating a unique law. Here is an abridged list of DOB violation types:

• Building Code Violations: These are violations related to the NYC Building Code and cover many issues, including unsafe conditions, improper construction, lack of permits for certain work, inadequate maintenance of common areas, etc.
• Fire Safety Violations: Some buildings are required by law to have fire safety systems such as sprinkler systems. It is considered a DOB violation if these systems are not installed and/or functional.

For a complete list of violations visit – https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/safety/types-of-dob-violations.page