Every residential property with more than 2 units in New York City is required to have an LL 152 inspection every 4 years. If you buy a property, you are now – or are going to be, depending on the date – required to get that inspection.
One of the administrative steps you’ll need to take after purchasing a property is confirming that the building is compliant with all local safety regulations. One of the more critical requirements, particularly for residential properties, is Local Law 152 (LL 152) – a mandate that requires periodic gas piping inspections to ensure safety and prevent hazardous gas leaks.
Failure to comply with LL 152 can result in city violations, civil penalties, and potential gas service interruptions. If you were not the property owner during the last inspection cycle, you will need to determine whether the previous owner completed the inspection and submitted the necessary paperwork to the city. The process is not always straightforward, but there are specific steps you can take to verify compliance.
What Local Law 152 Requires
Local Law 152, enacted as part of a broader safety initiative under the NYC Gas Piping Inspection Law, requires that buildings in NYC with exposed gas piping systems undergo inspections once every four years, based on a staggered borough-wide schedule. Multifamily properties are subject to this requirement unless explicitly exempt (e.g., certain small buildings with no gas piping).
Each inspection must be conducted by a licensed master plumber (LMP), and the property owner is required to submit a Gas Piping System Periodic Inspection Certification (GPS1) to the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) within 60 days of the inspection date.
If your property is subject to LL 152, this certification is legally required. If it’s missing or incomplete, you may inherit both administrative liabilities and potential safety risks.
How to Check if the Inspection Was Completed
There is no centralized public dashboard for LL 152 status that shows all completed inspections by address. However, you can still verify compliance by taking the following steps:
- Request Documentation from the Seller or Prior Management Company – The most direct route is to ask for a copy of the most recent GPS1 form or a record of the licensed plumber who completed the inspection. Sellers are encouraged – but not always required – to disclose this during closing, so the documentation may already be in your records.
- Search the NYC DOB NOW Public Portal – While the DOB does not publish LL 152 certifications as individual inspection logs, the DOB NOW portal may list work permits or inspection filings associated with gas systems that indicate LL 152-related activity.
- Consult With a Licensed Master Plumber – An LMP familiar with DOB filing systems can often look up recent GPS1 filings or verify whether an inspection has occurred based on address-level permit and filing data.
- Review City-Issued Notices – If a previous inspection was missed, the DOB may have issued a violation or warning notice. These can often be viewed through the DOB’s Building Information System (BIS) or may appear in the property’s open violations report.
If you cannot verify the inspection through any of these channels, it is safer to assume that the inspection was not completed or was not filed properly—especially if the prior owner did not disclose it.
What to Do If the Inspection Was Missed
If it appears that the previous owner did not comply with LL 152 requirements, it becomes your responsibility as the current property owner to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. This may involve:
- Hiring a licensed master plumber to conduct the inspection
- Submitting the GPS1 form to the DOB within the required window
- Potentially paying a late filing penalty or resolving an open DOB violation
- Correcting any hazardous conditions identified during the inspection
Keep in mind that if the property is found to have gas leaks or dangerous conditions during the inspection, the plumber is obligated to notify the utility immediately, and service may be shut down until repairs are completed.
LL 152 Compliance Is Now Your Responsibility
Once you take ownership of a multifamily property in NYC, you assume full responsibility for meeting LL 152 requirements, regardless of what the previous owner did or failed to do. It is in your best interest to verify the last inspection date as soon as possible and, if necessary, schedule a new inspection with a qualified professional.