MOLD & WATER
Mold is a leak with a face.
In New York, the owner has to fix the water behind it — not paint the wall. Here's the rule, the clock, and how to read what a building has already been reported for.
What the owner actually owes you
Local Law 55 treats mold as a hazard, not a cosmetic issue. It applies to buildings with three or more apartments.
Fix the water, not the stain
The owner must correct the leak or condensation causing the growth. Painting over it is not a repair, and it recurs.
Over 10 sq ft — 21 days
Treated as immediately hazardous once cited, with a short correction clock and a required certification of the fix.
Annual inspection duty
Owners of buildings with three or more units must inspect for mold and pests every year and act on what they find.
Source: Local Law 55 of 2018 and the NYC Housing Maintenance Code.
If there's mold in your apartment now
Photograph it with a date
Wide shot and close shot, plus the ceiling or wall above it. The source of the water matters more than the patch itself.
Put the request in writing
Text or email the owner or managing agent. Verbal requests leave no record, and the record is what carries weight later.
Call 311 and ask for an inspection
That is what puts a dated, public entry on the building. Repeated entries are what get an inspector to the door.
Read the building's history
If leaks have been reported on your line for years, this is a plumbing problem the owner already knows about.
Common questions
Is my landlord required to fix mold in NYC?
Yes. Under Local Law 55, building owners with three or more apartments must find and fix the underlying water problem, not just paint over the surface. Mold is an indoor allergen hazard, and the owner is responsible for the leak that caused it.
How fast does a landlord have to remove mold?
Once a violation is issued, mold on more than ten square feet is treated as immediately hazardous and carries a 21-day correction window. Smaller patches fall under a 30-day window. Both clocks start at the violation, not at your first complaint.
What do I do if my landlord won't fix the mold?
Call 311 and ask for a mold and water leak inspection. The call creates a dated record on the building address. Keep photographs with dates, and keep every text or email you send the owner or managing agent.
Can mold complaints show up on a building's record?
They do. Mold, leak, and water damage complaints attach to the address and stay there, along with whether they closed and how long they took. Search any building on Brix to read the pattern before you sign.
Does the owner have to test the mold?
No testing requirement exists. The obligation is to remove the mold safely and repair the water source. An owner who says the mold has to be lab-tested first is adding a step the law does not.
See whether it's the apartment or the building.
Every leak, mold and water damage complaint on the address, with dates — plus open violations and who's registered as the owner.