Open ViolationsA public record project
/

Rental of rooms to boarders

NYC Housing Maintenance Code § 27-2078 · cited Jul 28, 1998Jul 1, 2026

433 NYC housing violations have been issued under NYC Housing Maintenance Code § 27-2078, which is 0.0% of every HPD violation attributed to a section. 180 are still open.

Open now
180
Closed
253
All time
433
Share of attributed
0.0%
Class C (immediately hazardous)
0

What inspectors cite § 27-2078 for

The most common orders written under this section, in HPD’s own wording.

  1. Discontinue The Unlawful Occupancy By More Than Two Roomers, · 225
  2. Discontinue Use For Single Room Occupancy Purposes The Apartments · 158
  3. Discontinue The Unlawful Use As Separately Occupied Sleeping Rooms · 50

Open § 27-2078 violations by borough

BRONX53
BROOKLYN52
QUEENS50
MANHATTAN15
STATEN ISLAND10

Text of NYC Housing Maintenance Code § 27-2078

§ 27-2078 Rental of rooms to boarders.

a. A family may rent one or more living rooms in an apartment to not more than two boarders, roomers or lodgers, if every living room in such apartment has free and unobstructed access to each required exit from such apartment as provided in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of subdivision four of section two hundred forty-eight or paragraph (a) of subdivision one of section fifty-three of the multiple dwelling law, and if each such boarder, roomer or lodger has access to, and the right to use, at least one water closet, bath or shower and one washbasin as may be required in or for an apartment in this code.

b. Where a tenant rents any part of an apartment in a multiple dwelling to more than two boarders, roomers or lodgers, such rental shall constitute a use of the apartment for single room occupancy and such rental in an apartment of a converted dwelling shall constitute an unlawful use as a rooming unit.

c. A family may rent one or more living rooms in a private dwelling to not more than two boarders, roomers or lodgers, except as otherwise prohibited under the zoning resolution of the city of New York.

Current through Local Law 2026/116, enacted July 11, 2026 · enacted municipal law, in the public domain · official publication

Questions people ask about § 27-2078

What is a § 27-2078 violation?

NYC Housing Maintenance Code § 27-2078, "Rental of rooms to boarders", is cited on a violation when an HPD inspector finds the condition it covers. A family may rent one or more living rooms in an apartment to not more than two boarders, roomers or lodgers, if every living room in such apartment has free and unobstructed access to each required exit from such apartment as provided in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of subdivision four of section two hundred forty-eight or paragraph (a) of subdivision one of section fifty-three of the multiple dwelling law, and if each such boarder, roomer or lodger has access to, and the right to use, at least one water closet, bath or shower and one washbasin as may be required in or for an apartment in this code.

How many § 27-2078 violations are open in NYC right now?

180 § 27-2078 violations are open as of Aug 4, 2026.

Where this comes from

Counted from HPD’s Housing Maintenance Code Violations dataset. Each notice is attributed to a section by HPD’s own order number where one is on record, otherwise by the section its notice text cites. Figures recomputed Aug 4, 2026.

Browse open § 27-2078 records in the live feed · All violation codes

Related reading