P-3Pipes · who fixes what
Who fixes what: owner, board, unit owner or tenant?
Who fixes what in an NYC building depends first on the building type: owners repair almost everything in rentals, co-op and condo documents split the work, and the street pipes up to your wall belong to the property, not the city.
Which building is yours?
- Prewar walk-upThe owner repairs heat, pipes and fixtures; tenants report in writing, give access and pay only for damage they cause
- Brownstone or row houseThe owner fixes everything, out to the street main and city sewer; a tenant reports to the owner, then 311
- Co-op or condo high-riseBuilding-wide pipes and heat are the board’s; the proprietary lease decides which in-unit pipes and fixtures are yours
- Two-family houseThe owner fixes the systems; a written lease may shift some upkeep to the tenant, but not the tenant’s protection under the heat rules
- New-build condoThe condo declaration and bylaws decide; in-unit heat pumps and fixtures may fall to the unit owner, risers to the board
Which building do you live in? That answer settles most repair arguments before anyone reads a lease. In a building with three or more apartments run as a rental, the owner fixes nearly everything. In a co-op or condo, the building fixes what is shared and the documents decide the rest. In a one- or two-family house, the owner fixes the systems, and a written lease can move some small jobs to a tenant. Find your type on the building sheets for the walk-up, brownstone, co-op high-rise, two-family house or new condo.
What does the owner of a rental building have to fix?
The owner of a multiple dwelling must keep the whole building in good repair. Admin Code §27-2005 puts that duty on the owner, and HPD’s tenant page lists heat, hot and cold water, security and good lighting among what owners must supply and keep up. Before work that will cut heat, hot water, cold water, gas or electricity for two hours or more, the owner must give occupants advance notice.
Tenants carry a narrower duty. Under §27-2006 a tenant answers for violations caused by their own willful act, gross negligence, neglect or abuse, or that of their household or guests, and that still does not relieve the owner of keeping the building in repair. Tenants must also give reasonable access for repairs; HPD warns that unreasonably refusing access can be grounds for eviction proceedings.
How does this change by building type?
The split moves with the building, and the table gives the first call for each.
| Building | Heat and boiler | Pipes in the walls | Fixtures inside your home | First call |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prewar walk-up | Owner | Owner | Owner, unless the tenant broke it | Super or owner, in writing |
| Brownstone or row house | Owner | Owner | Owner; a lease may assign small items in a 1–2 family house | The owner |
| Co-op or condo high-rise | Board, through management | Board for risers and common lines | Shareholder, as the proprietary lease sets | Super, then management company |
| Two-family house | Owner | Owner | Owner, or the tenant if the written lease says so | The owner, usually upstairs or down |
| New-build condo | Board for any central plant; unit owner for in-unit equipment if the bylaws say so | Board for common pipes | Unit owner | Management company |
In co-ops and condos, the city leaves the line to each building. In 311’s words, the specific agreements a co-op or condo owner has with the board can dictate which conditions land on whom. A 1994 Attorney General memo treats heat and the repair of a burst pipe as building-wide services, and things like apartment painting or a broken bathroom tile as the owner’s.
Who owns the pipe from the street?
The property owner owns the water service line and the house sewer, all the way to the city mains in the street. On DEP’s lead page the whole water line is the owner’s, and DEP’s service line page adds the sanitary sewer line. By DEP’s averages, fixing a broken water line runs $3,000–$5,000, while a broken sewer line runs $10,000–$15,000. If DEP finds a leak on that line it serves a three-day notice; an owner who does not repair it with a licensed plumber is fined $1,000 and faces a 10-day notice and a shutoff.
Legend: the numbers on this plate
- 2 hoursoutage of heat, water, gas or power that needs advance notice to occupants of a multiple dwellingHousing code 27-2005 notice clause
- 25 ftnon-gas piping a licensed plumber may repair or replace as ordinary plumbing work, without a permitAdmin Code 28-105.4.4 via DOB
- 350,000 BTUsize cap on a no-permit replacement of a gas boiler, furnace or water heater, still done by a licensed plumber, in homes of up to five familiesDOB 2022 code chapter 1
If your line may be lead, lead service lines covers testing, DEP letters and replacement.
What can a resident fix without a plumber?
Very little beyond the fixture itself. The Admin Code’s "ordinary repairs" cover repairing or replacing a fixture, faucet or piping from an exposed stop valve to the inlet side of the trap, and DOB calls like-for-like faucet, toilet and sink replacements cosmetic work, provided neither the shutoff valves nor the trap change. Anything that alters water, drain, waste, vent or gas piping needs a Licensed Master Plumber or someone under one’s direct and continuing supervision. In a rental, the owner’s permission comes first: rent-regulated tenants cannot replace owner equipment without it.
The one thing every resident should know is where water can be stopped. 311 says you can close the house control valve to stop water while leaks are repaired; the city does not provide a shutoff service. In an apartment, ask the super where the valves for your line are before you need them. See permits and plumbers.
What if the person responsible won’t fix it?
In a rental, report it to the owner in writing, then file with 311 so HPD can inspect. A tenant can also start an HP action in Housing Court to force repairs, without a lawyer. Rent-stabilized tenants have a DHCR route too, covered on rent-stabilized repairs. In a co-op or condo, start with the management company and the board, then 311 for heat and hot water.
Questions people ask
Does the landlord have to fix a leak the tenant caused?
The owner still has to repair the building. Under §27-2006 the tenant can be held responsible for a violation caused by their own willful act or gross negligence, but the owner’s repair duty stays.
Is the pipe under the sidewalk the city’s job?
No. Everything between the city main and your wall, water line and house sewer alike, is the property’s to repair, by DEP’s account.
Can a co-op board make a shareholder pay for a burst riser?
It depends on the proprietary lease. Fixing a burst riser is building-wide work in the Attorney General’s reading; paying for ruined floors and cabinets is a question for the lease.
Can a tenant change a faucet?
A direct faucet swap is an ordinary repair under DOB rules, but in a rental it is the owner’s equipment. Ask the owner or super first.
Does a tenant have to let the plumber in?
Yes, at reasonable times. Section 27-2008 requires access for repairs, and a leak hunted from the wrong apartment can damage several homes, so agree a time with the super.
How this plate was drawn
Based on the Housing Maintenance Code as DOB compiles it, HPD’s tenant rights page, 311’s maintenance and water notice pages, DEP’s lead and service line pages, DOB’s plumbing permit page, NYS HCR and the Attorney General, all checked 11 Nov 2026. Co-op and condo splits come from each building’s documents, which no public source lists. Insurance questions are left out.
Sources
- DOB — Housing Maintenance Code · §27-2005, §27-2006 and §27-2008 duties · checked 11 Nov 2026
- HPD — tenant rights and responsibilities · owner duties, access and eviction warning · checked 11 Nov 2026
- NYC311 — apartment maintenance · how co-op and condo agreements divide repairs · checked 11 Nov 2026
- DEP — optional service line coverage · break repair averages and the sewer lateral · checked 11 Nov 2026
- DOB — plumbing permits · cosmetic work versus LMP work · checked 11 Nov 2026
- NYC311 — water notices · what happens when an owner ignores a DEP leak notice · checked 11 Nov 2026
- NY Attorney General — 1994 memo on building services · heat and burst pipes as building-wide · checked 11 Nov 2026
Plate P-3 · revised 11 Nov 2026