How to read a building report
Category: Reports & Data
Read time: 6 minutes
A building report is the closest thing to x-ray vision for an apartment. It takes 50+ government databases — HPD violations, DOB permits, 311 complaints, fire incidents, ACRIS deed records, and more — and surfaces what matters in one place.
This guide walks through every section of the premium report and what to look for in each.
1. The hero card: risk forecast & grade
At the top of every report you'll see two things side by side:
12-Month maintenance forecast
This is the number to start with. It's a percentage — the model's estimate of how likely this building is to have serious or dangerous HPD violations filed in the next 12 months.
The model is trained on 7 years of city inspection data across 169,000+ buildings. It weighs violation history, tenant complaint patterns, landlord track records, and property characteristics.
Historical neighborhood percentile
A slider showing how this building's open violation count compares to similar buildings in the same neighborhood.
- 50th percentile = average for the area
- 90th percentile = better than 90% of nearby buildings
- 10th percentile = among the worst in the neighborhood
The neighborhood percentile matters more than raw violation counts. A building with 5 open violations in a neighborhood where most buildings have 2 is a red flag. The same 5 violations in a neighborhood where most buildings have 10 is actually above average.
2. Rent stabilization analysis
This section checks four signals that indicate whether a building's units are likely rent-stabilized:
| Signal | What it means |
|---|---|
| Built before 1974 | NYC's rent stabilization laws primarily apply to pre-1974 buildings |
| 6 or more units | Smaller buildings are often exempt |
| Registered with the Rent Guidelines Board | Active RGB registration is a strong indicator that units are stabilized |
| 421-a / J-51 tax abatement | Landlords who take these tax benefits are legally required to keep units stabilized |
If any of these signals are positive, the report explains what they mean and directs you to the DHCR (Division of Housing and Community Renewal) for official confirmation.
This is not legal advice. Rent stabilization status is complex. The report flags signals — always verify with the DHCR or a tenant attorney before making decisions based on it.
3. AI insights
An AI-generated narrative that translates the building's data into plain language. It covers:
- Key risk factors — What's driving the building's score
- Historical context — How the building's condition has changed over time
- Specific concerns — Patterns in complaints, seasonal issues, landlord responsiveness
The AI summary is available with a free account. The full premium report includes the complete narrative without truncation.
4. Building overview
Basic characteristics that set context for everything else:
- Total units & floors — Scale of the building
- Year built — Construction era affects maintenance patterns
- Building class — Tax department classification
- Tax abatements — Any current tax benefit programs (421-a, J-51, etc.)
A building's characteristics help calibrate expectations. A pre-war walk-up with 6 units tends to have a different maintenance profile than a 2020 high-rise with 200 units.
5. Issue trend & model projection
A chart showing violations and complaints per year over the last 7 years. The solid line is actual historical data. The dashed line is the AI's projection for the next 12 months.
What to look for:
- Trend direction — Are violations increasing or decreasing year over year?
- Recent spikes — A sudden jump in the last 12 months could mean a new management issue
- Projection divergence — If the projection is higher than the historical trend, the model sees leading indicators that aren't visible in raw counts yet
6. Landlord & ownership
The people and companies registered to the building, their other properties, and their court record.
Portfolio insights (premium)
This is often the most revealing section. A landlord's wider portfolio is a strong predictor of how your building will be treated.
- Portfolio size — How many other properties the same entity owns
- Cross-building patterns — If a landlord has high violation rates across multiple buildings, it's a pattern, not bad luck
- Registered contact — The name and address on public registration records
Some landlords own 30+ buildings with hundreds of open complaints across them — and keep doing it because most renters check one address without knowing about the other 29.
7. Public records tables (premium)
The raw data behind the analysis — every violation, complaint, permit, and filing organized by category. Premium reports show up to 200 rows per dataset, covering the full history rather than just the most recent entries.
HPD violations
The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development classifies violations by severity:
| Class | Meaning | Response time |
|---|---|---|
| C | Immediately hazardous (no heat, gas leak, no water) | 24 hours |
| B | Hazardous (pests, mold, inadequate lighting) | 30 days |
| A | Non-hazardous (minor maintenance, cosmetic) | 90 days |
- Class C violations are the most serious. They mean HPD considered the condition immediately dangerous.
- Open vs. closed matters. An open Class C violation means the landlord hasn't fixed it yet. Several open Class C violations over multiple years is a strong signal to dig deeper.
DOB complaints
Filed with the Department of Buildings — typically for structural issues, illegal construction, or unsafe conditions. These are less common than HPD violations but often more serious.
311 complaints
Every complaint called into 311, including heat/hot water, noise, and sanitation issues. Not all 311 complaints lead to violations — but the pattern over time tells you what tenants at this building deal with most.
Permits & construction history
Records of work filed with the city. Useful for verifying renovation claims and spotting unpermitted work.
8. Event timeline (premium)
Every filing, violation, and permit organized on a chronological timeline. Instead of scrolling through separate tables, you see the building's full history in one view.
A rapid cluster of events in a short period can indicate a property changing hands, a new management company taking over, or a sudden deterioration in conditions.
Free vs. premium: what you see
| Section | Free report | Premium report |
|---|---|---|
| Risk forecast & grade | ✓ Snapshot | ✓ Full detail |
| Neighborhood percentile | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rent stabilization | — | ✓ Full analysis |
| AI insights | ✓ Partial (with account) | ✓ Full narrative |
| Building overview | ✓ | ✓ |
| Issue trend chart | — | ✓ |
| Landlord portfolio | — | ✓ |
| HPD violations | 10 most recent | Full history (200 rows) |
| DOB complaints | 10 most recent | Full history (200 rows) |
| 311 complaints | 10 most recent | Full history (200 rows) |
| Permits & construction | 10 most recent | Full history (200 rows) |
| Event timeline | — | ✓ |
| PDF / Excel download | — | ✓ |
Unlocking the full report takes one credit. Check your credit balance or buy a 3-pack for $10.
Not sure if you need the premium report? The free version is enough to know if something is obviously wrong. Upgrade when the building passes the basic check and you want the full picture.