One good thing about being a reporter is accessing the press places of work at in any other case impenetrable authorities businesses.
You would possibly marvel, “Shouldn’t I as a constructing proprietor have not less than as a lot entry because the media does?” In an ideal world, sure, however — actuality verify — you don’t.
There may be some logic to this. The press workplace can share info with a reporter who in flip shares it with 1000’s of shoppers, as I’m about to do on a regulation affecting multifamily buildings.
The Division of Buildings has one of the vital responsive press places of work in metropolis authorities. So once I received a curious letter from JTG Grasp Plumbing about new charges for gasoline inspections, I checked it out with DOB.
Native Legislation 152, enacted in 2016, requires an inspection of gasoline piping in most multifamily buildings each 4 years by a city-licensed grasp plumber (or a professional individual working for one).
Inspections started in 2020 and the second spherical is underway. Plumbers have usually charged $600 per inspection, however not less than there was no DOB submitting charge.
Quickly, nevertheless, there shall be, the letter from JTG warned.
However I used to be skeptical of its declare that “after Feb. 22, 2026, submitting charges of as much as $480 will apply for extensions, corrections, and no gasoline filings. It will decelerate scheduling & improve prices for everybody.”
Then got here the pitch: “Keep away from these new prices by finishing your inspection earlier than the rule change takes impact in February. We suggest that you just full your inspection and submitting earlier than the Dec. 31 due date to stop charges and penalties.”
From the letter, I couldn’t inform what the charge for my constructing could be and whether or not the deadline to keep away from it’s Feb. 22 or Dec. 31.
I wrote to JPG, which replied, however I used to be nonetheless confused. So I emailed the DOB press workplace. Listed below are the details:
New rules for Native Legislation 152 took impact Jan. 3, 2026. Fourteen folks commented on the October listening to for the proposed guidelines — hats off to those of us! — however DOB didn’t make any modifications.
The brand new charge for certification of the gasoline piping inspection shall be $35. Requesting an extension or submitting a corrected submitting will even set you again $35.
What concerning the February deadline? There may be none. DOB will begin gathering charges this summer season, in all probability after posting a service discover here.
And the $480 submitting charge that JPG put in boldface and italics however failed to clarify? That’s for buildings with out energetic gasoline service however with gasoline piping that may very well be used sooner or later. Not too lots of these.
In case your property was constructed all-electric, congratulations … however you’re not off the hook. Native Legislation 152 nonetheless obliges you to certify that your constructing has no gasoline piping.
A story in The Real Deal about your all-electric coolness doesn’t suffice. You continue to want to rent a grasp plumber and pay $375 for the submitting charge. The excellent news is that you just solely need to do it as soon as.
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