New York Senate Bill S03819

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/30/25
• Refer: 1/30/25
• Engrossed: 6/4/25
• Refer: 6/4/25
• Refer: 1/7/26
• Engrossed: 3/17/26
• Refer: 3/17/26

Caption

Requires that any penalties for violations of housing standards or building and fire codes be assessed and imposed within fourteen days; increases certain fine amounts for violations of housing standards.

Summary

S03819 amends New York State housing and building code penalty provisions to speed up enforcement and raise certain fines. For violations of the uniform fire prevention and building code, the bill requires that daily penalties be assessed no later than the 14th day of the violation. It also revises penalty schedules for housing-standard violations in New York City, increasing civil penalties for non-hazardous, hazardous, and immediately hazardous violations in multiple dwellings, and adjusting the thresholds for smaller buildings from five units to ten units. The bill also increases penalties for false certifications of correction, meaning owners or other responsible parties who falsely claim a violation has been fixed would face higher civil penalties depending on the severity of the violation. Overall, the measure is aimed at strengthening compliance, discouraging delay, and making enforcement more immediate and more costly for repeat or serious violations.

Impact

The bill would amend the executive law and the New York City administrative code, changing how penalties are imposed for building, fire code, and housing-standard violations. It would affect property owners, landlords, builders, contractors, architects, tenants involved in construction, and others responsible for code compliance, especially in multiple dwellings. By requiring assessment of daily penalties within 14 days and increasing fine amounts, the bill would likely increase enforcement pressure and potential financial exposure for violators, particularly in larger residential buildings and for immediately hazardous conditions.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests the bill had meaningful but not unanimous support. It passed the Senate Housing, Construction and Community Development Committee by 8-3 and later passed the Senate floor by 36-21 in one vote, then again by 38-21 in a later floor vote. That pattern indicates broad support among many senators for tougher housing and building code enforcement, but also a substantial minority opposed or concerned about the bill’s approach.

Contention

The main points of contention appear to be the higher fines, the faster imposition of penalties, and the expansion of liability for housing-standard violations. Supporters likely view the bill as a needed enforcement tool to address unsafe housing conditions and delayed repairs, while opponents may be concerned that the increased penalties are too punitive, could burden small property owners, or may be difficult to administer fairly. The change from five to ten dwelling units for certain penalty categories also suggests debate over how small buildings should be treated compared with larger multifamily properties.