Local Law 69 & Annual Bed Bug Reports For 2023

Local Law 69 was passed in 2017 and went into effect in 2018.

Each December, property owners are required to submit annual bed bug reports to the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) for each registered multiple-dwelling property.

If you are a landlord or property manager of one or more multiple-dwelling buildings, the deadline for filing annual bed bug report(s) is December 31st, 2023.

What Is Local Law 69?

Over the past few years, New York City has expanded the parameters of local laws in regards to bed bugs.

Local Law 69 of 2017 requires owners of multiple-dwelling buildings to obtain bed bug infestation history from all tenants and unit owners, including whether or not eradication measures were taken.

This information must be submitted electronically to HPD in the form of an annual bed bug report. The filing receipt must also be provided to tenants or posted in a prominent location.

What Does the Annual Bed Bug Report Require?

The annual bed bug report for Local Law 69 requires 4 key pieces of information for each building you own:

1. Total Dwelling Unit Count: the number of dwelling units in the building
2. Infested Dwelling Unit Count: the number of units with bed bug activity in the past year (from November 1st, 2022 to October 31st, 2023)
3. Eradicated Dwelling Unit Count: the number of units treated for bed bugs
4. Re-infested Dwelling Unit Count: the number of units that still had bed bug issues after treatment as of October 31st, 2023

Landlords and property managers are expected to collect this information from tenants/residents and tally up the totals for each registered building.

You just need to ask each unit if they had any bed bug problems in the past year, and if so, whether or not they were successfully exterminated.

If you keep good records and your tenants are cooperative, this should be a relatively quick and painless task.

If you’re having trouble with uncommunicative tenants, you’re still expected to make a reasonable effort to collect the information and file your annual bed bug report to the best of your knowledge.

Violations and Penalties

HPD is actively enforcing Local Law 69. Earlier this year, HPD issued over 100,000 notices of violations to building owners that did not file their annual bed bug report last year (for 2021–2022).

Per Local Law 69, failure to file your annual bed bug report by December 31^st, 2023 results in a Class A violation from HPD.

Remember, open violations are publicly available information. A poor track record makes it hard for landlords to attract prospective renters and keep existing tenants. It can also negatively impact the landlord’s creditworthinessand prevent owners from selling or refinancing the property.

How to File Your Annual Bed Bug Report

The annual bed bug report can be filed electronically on a special HPD website. To file your annual bed bug report required by Local Law 69, follow these steps:

1. Go to HPD’s online portal: hpdcrmportal.dynamics365portals.us
2. Click “File” under “Bed Bug Filing.”
3. Click “Start your annual bed bug report.”
4. You’ll need to sign in with HPD. (If you are not already registered, your property may also have an outstanding violation for failure to register. You can register at nyc.gov or call 212-863-7000.)
5. Enter the borough, street number, and street name for your building(s).
6. HPD will ask for the 24-hour confidential phone number from your building’s yearly registration (this will basically be your log-in PIN).
7. Create a new filing, select a contact, and enter the following information:
8. Enter the total number of dwelling units.
9. Enter the total number of “infested” units.
10. Enter the total number of “eradicated” units.
11. Enter the total number of “re-infested” units.

After you file your annual bed bug report, Local Law 69 requires that you must either:

• Provide tenants with a copy of the filing receipt upon each lease renewal or at the start of a new vacancy lease.
• Distribute a copy of this Bed Bug Information Notice.

OR

• Post the electronic form in a prominent location in the building.
• Post a copy of this Bed Bug Information Notice.

Local Law 69: Frequently Asked Questions

Do I Need to File an Annual Bed Bug Report if My Building Never Had Bed Bugs?

Yes, even if your building had zero bed bug activity over the past year, you still need to file the annual bed bug report. In this case, submit “0” for the number of infested units, eradicated units, and re-infested units.

Do I Need to File an Annual Bed Bug Report for Individual Apartments or Dwelling Units?

No, you only need to file the total aggregate number of bed bug infestations for all units in the building.

Can I Use One Log-in Account to File Annual Bed Bug Reports for Multiple Buildings?

Yes.

Does Local Law 69 Apply to Hotels?

Yes, hotels are required to file annual bed bug reports.

Does Local Law 69 Apply to Co-ops and Condos?

Yes, co-ops and condos are required to file annual bed bug reports.

What Happens if I Don’t File the Annual Bed Bug Report?

This year we had a number of calls and emails from clients who received a notice of violation from HPD regarding missing annual bed bug reports for 2021–2022.

This is a Class A violation from the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) with the following description:

“(A) § HMC:FILE ANNUAL BEDBUG REPORT IN ACCORDANCE WITH HPD RULE AS DESCRIBED ON THE BACK OF THIS NOTICE OF VIOLATION OR AS DESCRIBED ON HPD’S WEBSITE, WWW.NYC.GOV/HPD, SEARCH BED BUGS.”

Property owners that received this violation must file their annual bed bug report by the correction date indicated in the notice. Failure to do so will result in fines and penalties from HPD.

How Do I Correct Local Law 69 Violations?

Use HPD’s online portal to submit your annual bed bug report before the “Correct By Date” indicated on your notice of violation. You will then need to certify that the report is submitted by the “Certify By Date.”