Q&A
Department of Buildings' involvement with Tenant Protection Plans
4:12:42
·
3 min
Council Member Brewer inquires about the Department of Buildings' involvement in Tenant Protection Plans (TPPs), particularly regarding a situation at 353 West 58th Street. Commissioner Oddo provides detailed statistics on TPP-related inquiries, inspections, and enforcement actions for 2022 and 2023.
- The Office of Tenant Advocate received 2,472 inquiries in 2023, resulting in about 1,200 inspections and 1,200 referrals to other city agencies.
- In 2023, there were 15,593 complaints, 18,000 inspections, and 613 stop work orders issued.
- The department tries to respond to complaints within 24 hours and issues stop work orders with fines for non-compliance.
Gale A. Brewer
4:12:42
Quickly, I was wondering how many TP feet tenant protection plans.
4:12:47
You get involved in, if if many.
4:12:49
We got a situation at 353 West 58th Street.
4:12:53
It's the Hudson Hotel.
4:12:55
37 residents, construction, elevators, a piece of plywood I could go on.
4:13:01
And this I mean, it's a complaint that the building doesn't have good oversight over TPP.
4:13:08
So I just didn't know if that's something that is their division forward or how
Jimmy Oddo
4:13:16
we we we actually reorganized the the enforcement bureau.
4:13:22
So now we have the office of tenant advocate, Sarah Desmond, who does a great job and the real time.
4:13:29
She's Right?
4:13:30
Thank you for that.
4:13:31
And the real time enforcement unit have sort of been merged and they're the ones that attest with responding.
4:13:37
To some of these work without permit issues in these multiple dwellings.
4:13:43
We try to respond to those complaints within 24 hours where we find that nothing where where the t a tpp was required but hasn't been filed.
4:13:56
We issue a stop work order.
4:13:58
I think it comes with a $5000 or $6000 fine Okay.
4:14:03
The number of in in 2023 Right.
4:14:11
The Office of Tenet Advocate received 2472 inquiries.
4:14:16
Of those inquiries we received, 12 around 1200 were inspections were conducted by our multiple dwelling inspection unit.
4:14:30
And there are around 1200 referrals made to other city agencies.
4:14:36
That number is slightly down from 2022.
4:14:43
The number of violations in 2003 of our Office of Tenet Protection, 15593 complaints, We did 18,000 inspections.
4:15:00
Right?
4:15:01
Lots of numbers here.
4:15:02
And we have around 2000 oath and 1500 DOB violations, around 613 stop work orders.
Gale A. Brewer
4:15:12
How many Upwork orders?
Jimmy Oddo
4:15:14
613.
Gale A. Brewer
4:15:15
And that's in in 23?
Jimmy Oddo
4:15:18
Yeah.
4:15:18
Okay.
Gale A. Brewer
4:15:21
Alright.
4:15:21
That's helpful.
4:15:22
Alright.
4:15:22
I appreciate it.
4:15:23
I mean, I think that the TPPs are hard because they are often, you know, in place tenants.
4:15:27
Obviously, that's what a TPP is, plus construction, dust, probably a complicated inspection, I mean, would be my guess.
4:15:37
So I appreciate this information.
4:15:39
So I'll follow-up on
Jimmy Oddo
4:15:40
the building.
4:15:40
Council member of this is a little bit more.
4:15:42
Sure.
Gus Sirakis
4:15:43
One one additional item is the 2022 building code enacted the requirement for a special inspection to confirm compliance with the tenant protection plan.
4:15:53
This requires the owner to retain the services of an independent architect sector engineer to check for periodic compliance between our visits for the contractor to comply with the tenant protection plan.
4:16:06
They're not supposed to have a direct relationship with the contractor.
4:16:09
So this is an independent set of eyes in addition to DOBs that can check to make sure the contractors living up to what's on the TPP and call us if needed or just take direct action with the owner about getting the the site into compliance.
Gale A. Brewer
4:16:22
That's very helpful.
4:16:23
Thank you, ma'am.