NEW YORK CITY – Inspection requirements and penalties for building exteriors in New York City could grow stricter and cost big fines for property owners under an update to Local Law 11 beginning this February, which requires hands-on inspections of all facades for buildings six stories or taller. Under the legislation, an estimated 13,000 buildings across the city will require the inspection.

"As New York City's building stock continues to age the threat of additional accidents continues to increase," Jeffrey Reich, partner at Schwartz Sladkus Reich Greenberg Atlas, tells GlobeSt.com. "Property owners should anticipate requirements for greater diligence on façade maintenance, including more detailed inspections, more frequent inspections, more costly violation assessments and greater liability for failures to execute inspections and repairs."

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Mariah Brown

Mariah Brown is the New York Bureau Chief and Real Estate Reporter for GlobeSt.com, covering the New York Metro area, Northeast region and national real estate trends. She is responsible for producing multi-media content, including articles, podcasts and video. Before joining the GlobeSt team, she served as a New York Times fellow, reported for the Associated Press in New York and Philadelphia and several other New York City-based outlets.