What Is NYC's Alternative Enforcement Program (AEP)?

Many New Yorkers live in older apartment buildings where serious problems go unfixed. Issues like broken heating systems, plumbing failures, mold, leaks, and pest infestations can make homes unsafe and unhealthy.

To address this, New York City recently updated its list of the 250 most distressed apartment buildings. These are properties with a high number of open housing code violations and a pattern of repeated landlord neglect. Mayor Mamdani announced stricter enforcement aimed at protecting tenants in these buildings by increasing oversight, enforcing repairs, and holding irresponsible landlords accountable.

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What Is the Alternative Enforcement Program (AEP)?

The Alternative Enforcement Program (AEP) is run by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). It targets the city’s most neglected apartment buildings, particularly those with serious and ongoing violations such as lack of heat or hot water, mold, pests, leaks, and other hazardous conditions that directly impact tenant health and safety

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How Does It Work?

Each year, typically around January 31, HPD reviews housing code data and selects the most distressed multi-unit buildings for the program. These buildings usually have a large number of unresolved hazardous and immediately hazardous violations, as well as high emergency repair costs.

Once a building is placed in AEP:
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• Inspections increase. HPD conducts more frequent inspections to monitor conditions and track repairs.
• Orders to Correct are issued. If problems remain unresolved, landlords receive formal orders requiring them to make repairs.
• The city steps in if needed. If a landlord fails to act, HPD can make the repairs directly and then bill the owner for the work.

Buildings can be removed from AEP once owners correct most violations, pay outstanding emergency repair charges, and meet registration requirements. Even after removal, HPD may continue monitoring to ensure conditions do not deteriorate again. The AEP has been in place since 2007 and is designed to improve conditions in some of New York City’s worst-maintained buildings while holding negligent landlords accountable.

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Why Does This Matter?

• Less tolerance for deferred maintenance
• More aggressive intervention in poorly managed buildings
• Greater accountability for repeat offenders
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For landlords and investors, this represents a shift from reactive enforcement to proactive oversight. Buildings with long-standing issues are more likely to be flagged, monitored, and corrected by the city, with costs passed back to ownership.

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Disclaimer: This content is meant for informational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as financial, tax, legal, or insurance advice.