Due to its convenience and potential for socializing, the laundry room is a cherished tenant amenity. But for property owners and managers, the facility is another component that is critical to maintain properly.
After several major incidents caused by improper gas hookups, New York City’s Department of Buildings is conducting ever more thorough inspections. And managers must file an ever-growing and expensive series of permits to ensure the work is done safely.
“They are enforcing the code more than ever, and increased the severity of the violations. It’s critical that owners and managers become compliant,” said Steve Beckerman, director of operations of the family owned and operated Hercules Corp., Hicksville, N.Y. “The violations and fines have become overwhelming.”
That’s not always easy with older housing stock, he added. Retrofitting newer equipment, especially gas dryers, into older buildings can be challenging, and some owners have attempted to bypass permitting processes, or avoid employing expensive licensed master plumbers to save money and avoid lengthy service disruptions. Other violations are simply because of the use of different materials that are safe but differ from code.
But improper hookups can inadvertently result in expensive violations at best, and lengthy laundry room shutdowns in the worst case. Yet sometimes, the Department isn’t even aware that a laundry room exists in an older building.
“Many buildings don’t have the laundry rooms listed on the certificates of occupancy,” Beckerman said. “Years ago, it wasn’t required.”
Now, however, owners can legalize the laundry room by doing a job filing with the Department of Buildings. Owners also should ensure that any work is done with the proper permits already in place; significant fines can be levied therwise, and with additional monies charged for every 90 days that the violation remains unrepaired. The Catch 22 is that the filing process to fix the violation and complete the repair can often take more than 90 days, automatically compounding the original fine. Permit requests must be filed manually, extending the processing time to as much as three months, landing the owner in default almost automatically.
And occasionally, the owner or property manager may dispute a violation, which can further extend the timeline.
Consultants such as Hercules try to help all parties come to a resolution. Depending on the violation, various professionals may be involved. If the laundry room is missing on the certificate of occupancy, or there is no job filing, an architect may be needed to file new drawings. Hiring a master plumber is critical to begin the process of fixing other violations, though that does require some research.
“We suggest people Google for master plumbers, then ask if they are licensed in New York City,” said Terence O’Brien, deputy director of the Plumbing Foundation of The City of New York,
Now, however, is the time to be proactive about inspecting and applying for repairs for improper gas hookups. In February, the New York City Council passed Local Law 158 of 2016, which establishes a Gas Piping Work Civil Penalty Program to encourage the repair and resolution of any gas piping work completed without a permit prior to April 5, 2017.
Penalties will be waived for work performed or violations issued prior to April 5 if applicants obtain a permit to resolve the improper work between April 5, 2017, and October 5, 2017, and they have the job signed off by the Department of Buildings one year from the permit is issued. The jobs must be submitted as a Limited Alteration Application, and is limited to the gas work only. The amnesty pertains to Department of Buildings civil penalties only, and the penalties will be reinstated if the work is not signed off within a year of the permit issue date.
“This amnesty program is a step forward for the city and businesses,” said Lawrence J. Levine, owner of PAR Plumbing, Lynbrook, N.Y. “It will bring a lot of people in to fix the problems.”
“This helps the owners, and is good for us, as there is more work for our members,” O’Brien said. “This will inherently make things safer.”
For more information on gas hookup regulations and codes, visit the Department of Building’s website at www1.nyc.gov/site/buildings/index.page
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