Brooklyn Alterations May Need a No-Harassment Certificate

A Brooklyn owner planning major work should check the CONH question before pricing the job. Some residential buildings need a Certification of No Harassment before the owner applies to DOB for certain permits. The rule can apply before work that changes use or occupancy, demolishes part or all of a building, or makes covered alterations. Covered work can include adding or removing kitchens or bathrooms, changing unit layouts, or seeking a new or amended certificate of occupancy.

Tenants and local officials are notified after an application. Start with the building category, then the work type. Save the dated lookup with the notice, contract, map, or bill that started the question.

The clean move in Brooklyn is to turn the question into one named record. From NYC HPD: Certification of No Harassment, save the exact HPD or DOB, the date, and the number or address that would let an office find the same thing again. Write New York City Housing Preservation and Development beside the note, especially when a later question turns on money, title, access, a permit, a license, or a deadline. Brooklyn HPD or DOB questions get easier when the date, office name, and identifying number stay in the same folder.