BedBug Annual filing -by MAIL (pdf file)

NYC BedBug Annual filing By MAIL Instruction (PDF FILE)

Bed bugs are small insects that feed mainly on human blood. Bed bug infestations are increasingly common in New York City. Bed bugs can enter homes by latching onto used furniture, luggage and clothing, and by traveling along connecting pipes and wiring. Left untreated, bed bugs can spread quickly.

Preventing and Getting Rid of Bed Bug Infestations

Property owners are required to address bed bug infestations promptly. The surest strategies to keep bed bugs from spreading are prevention, early detection, and rapid treatment. To learn more, see the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)

Property Owner Requirements

The Housing Maintenance Code and Health Code both require that property owners address infestations promptly.

The surest strategies to keep bed bugs from spreading are prevention, early detection, and rapid treatment. To learn more, see the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Preventing and Getting Rid of Bedbugs Safely guide.

Bed bug infestations usually require the services of well-trained, licensed pest management professionals, also called exterminators. New York State law requires that property owners hire only pest control professionals licensed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to treat apartments for bed bugs. The pest control professional should perform an inspection to confirm the presence of bed bugs and to eliminate bed bugs, if necessary. Property owners are expected to make follow-up visits to ensure that there are no signs of a bed bug infestation.

Property owners of rental residential properties are now required to file a Bed Bug Annual Report. See the Bed Bug Annual Report Requirement section of this webpage for the additional requirements. Once the Bed Bug Annual Report has been filed, the property owner is required to either provide the filing receipt to each tenant (upon commencement of a new lease and with each lease renewal) OR post the filing receipt in a prominent location in the building. In addition, the property owner must either distribute to each tenant or post the DOHMH Preventing and Getting Rid of Bedbugs Safely guide, which provides information on the prevention, detection, and removal of bedbugs.

Bed Bug Annual Report Requirement

Local Law 69 of 2017 requires that all multiple dwelling property owners must attempt to obtain the bed bug infestation history from the tenant or unit owner, including whether eradication measures were employed for a bedbug infestation.

Complete your Annual Bed Bug Report. Pursuant to the law, HPD will make the submitted information publicly available through HPDONLINE. 

The online application will only allow validly registered property owners and managing agents of multiple dwellings to disclose bedbug infestation history. A building’s property registration must be current. If you have not registered your property, please do so by visiting Property Registration. 

Based on public feedback, HPD made a paper form available for property owners who are not able to file electronically due to lack of email or access to a computer. HPD is adopting rules that will clarify that only non-corporate owners, who generally own smaller buildings and may have less available resources for electronic submission, may submit paper reports, as well as clarifying that submission of paper bedbug reports by corporate owners will be rejected and the submission will be deemed noncompliant. Corporate owners, including corporations, LLCs, condominium corporations, cooperatives, and other corporate ownership types must use the electronic form as stated in section 27-2018.2

This adopted rule will make it easier for smaller property owners to file the required bedbug reports while ensuring that corporate property owners continue to meet the electronic filing requirements.

Property owners will be required to file annually between December 1 and December 31 for the previous year from November 1 through October 31.   

Property owners will be required to report the following information:

1. The number of dwelling units;
2. The number of dwelling units, as reported or otherwise known to the owner, than had a bedbug infestation during the previous year;
3. The number of dwelling units, as reported or otherwise known to the owner, in which eradication measure were employed during the previous year for a bedbug infestation;
4. The number of dwelling units reported in number 3 that had a bedbug infestation after such eradication measure were employed in such units. 

When submitting, the owner will certify that either:

• A copy of the most electronic form will be distributed to each tenant of the building upon each lease renewal or the commencement of a new lease issued; or
• A copy of such form will be posted in a prominent location within the building within 60 days of the filing and that the owner will maintain a record that a copy of such form was prominently posted within 60 days of the filing of the information with HPD. 

Once the Bed Bug Annual Report has been filed, the property owner is required to either provide the filing receipt to each tenant (upon commencement of a new lease and with each lease renewal) OR post the filing receipt in a prominent location in the building. In addition, the property owner must either distribute to each tenant or post the DOHMH's Stop Bed Bugs Safely guide, which provides information on the prevention, detection, and removal of bedbugs.

If you do not have access to a computer or email, you can file a report using the Bed Bug Annual Filing Form. Please follow all instructions carefully. The Form is also available in the following languages:

• Arabic / العربية
• Bengali / বাংলা
• Chinese (Simplified) / 简化字
• French / français
• Haitian-Creole / Kreyòl ayisyen
• Korean / 한국어
• Polish / polski
• Russian / Русский язык
• Spanish / Español
• Urdu / اردو

Please note that New York State law requires property owners to disclose bedbug infestation history dating back one year to new tenants through the Bedbug Disclosure Form. For more information, visit the NYS Homes and Community Renewal website.

Questions?
See the Bedbugs Annual Report FAQs.

BEDBUG ANNUAL REPORTS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION:

Housing Maintenance Code sections 27-2018.1 and 27-2018.2 require the owner of a multiple dwelling(s) to annually request information from building occupants about bedbug infestations, and, based on that information and the owner’s activities during the year, file a Bedbug Annual Report with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). The filing requires information about bedbug infestations and eradication measures taken for the multiple dwelling. This Bedbug Annual Report must be filed electronically with HPD. Based on public feedback, HPD made a paper form available for property owners who are not able to file electronically due to lack of email or access to a computer. Owners of multiple dwellings who are registered pursuant to section 27-2098 as an individual or joint owner or other non corporate form, may file on a paper form. Submission of paper bedbug reports by corporate owners will be rejected and the submission will be deemed noncompliant. Corporate owners, including corporations, LLCs, condominium corporations, cooperatives, and other corporate ownership types must use the electronic form as stated in section 27-2018.2. This adopted rule will make it easier for smaller property owners to file the required bedbug reports while ensuring that corporate property owners continue to meet the electronic filing requirements. After filing the report with HPD, the owner is also required to provide it to occupants upon lease commencement or renewal OR post the report in a prominent public location within the multiple dwelling. The owner must keep a record of how the report was provided to occupants.

Property owners are required to file a Bedbug Annual Report with HPD every year between December 1st and December 31st.

This notice is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice. This notice is not a complete or final statement of all the duties of owners and tenants regarding laws and rules relating to housing in New York City.

What information are property owners required to file? Property owners are required to file the following based on the bedbug activity in the building between

November 1, 2020 and October 31, 2021:

1. Total dwelling unit count. The total number of units in the multiple dwelling (whether or not the unit is occupied). This number cannot be zero
2. Infested dwelling unit count. The number of units, as reported by a tenant or otherwise known to the property owner, to have had a bedbug infestation for the reporting period and annually for each subsequent report.
3. Eradicated dwelling unit count. The number of units where eradication measures were employed for the reporting period.
4. Re-infested dwelling unit count. The number of units that reported having a bedbug infestation after eradication methods were employed for the reporting period and annually for each subsequent report.

Do property owners need to file a Bedbug Annual Report even if the building is bedbug free?

Yes.

Are property owners required to file bedbug infestation history for each dwelling unit?

Property owners are required to file an aggregate report of the bedbug infestation history of the multiple dwelling that includes infestation history for all units – not an infestation history for an individual dwelling unit.

What if a tenant doesn’t want to provide bedbug infestation history?

The owner must employ best efforts to obtain information from all units.

Do hotels have to file the Bedbug Annual Report?

Yes.

Are co-operatives and condominiums required to file the Bedbug Annual Report?

Yes.

Can an owner create one log-in account and file Bedbug Annual Reports for multiple buildings through

that log-in?

Yes.

Can owners create their own template of the Bedbug Annual Report Filing Receipt to distribute to tenants or to post in a prominent location?

No. Property owners are required to distribute or post the electronic form that HPD provides to confirm

the filing.

Are property owners required to distribute the Bedbug Annual Report to tenants that renewed a lease

or signed a vacancy lease during the filing period?

Property owners are required to provide bedbug infestation history upon commencement of a new

lease or renewal tenancy lease that begins after submission of the Bedbug Annual Report.

Who can be contacted if there are issues with filing a Bedbug Annual Report or accessing the Bedbug

Portal?

Issues with the filing can be reported via email to HPD at enforcementdesk@hpd.nyc.gov.

What happens if I do not file Bedbug Annual Report?

A violation will be issued to the property owner for failure to file the report.

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