Under local law, if a residential building owner wants to:
- Change the use or occupancy of a building or
- Demolish it or any of its parts
They must apply for and receive a Certification of No Harassment (CONH) from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD).
An owner must have a CONH before applying to the Department of Buildings (DOB) for a permit for any residential building that is:
- A single room occupancy multiple dwelling (SRO)
- A multiple dwelling or interim multiple dwelling located in one of the following areas:
- The Special Clinton District
- The Special Hudson Yards District
- Preservation Area P-2 of the Special Garment Center District
- The Greenpoint-Williamsburg anti-harassment area
- The Special West Chelsea District
- A multiple dwelling on the CONH Pilot Program Building List
The CONH process makes sure alteration or demolition projects don't:
- Harass lawful occupants into leaving or
- Deprive lawful occupants of their rights
HPD will investigate if harassment happened during the inquiry period.
If HPD finds that harassment occurred, they begin a case at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings(OATH).
Based on the OATH case, HPD will then decide whether to issue the CONH.
Under the law, a denial of the CONH prevents an owner from getting any alteration or demolition permits for the building for a period of years.
Applications may be submitted to HPD online or with a paper application.
Learn more about Certification of No Harassment or Exemption and their applications.
Get Help
Email
For questions related to the CONH program, applications for SROs, Special Districts, and the pilot program, send an email to conhinfo@hpd.nyc.gov.
By Phone
- Agency: Department of Housing Preservation and Development
- Division: Certificate of No Harassment
- Phone Number: (212) 863-8950
- Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 4 PM
