The DOB announced a couple of new parking structure rules – here’s what that means for your buildings:
More Frequent Parking Structure Inspections
The City Council passed Local Law 71 earlier this year, mandating more frequent inspections for parking structures. Right now, parking structures are on a 6-year cycle, broken down into three two-year subcycles based on the property’s Community District (if in Manhattan) or borough.
This proposed rule strikes the “six-year” report filing cycle language, leaving the filing requirement open for more frequent inspections. While the rule change wasn’t made more specific – the cycle timeframe was completely removed instead of replaced – Local Law 71 states the following:
[Inspections] shall be conducted at least once…by January 1, 2028, and after each notification of an unsafe condition. After January 1, 2028, a condition assessment of each parking structure shall be conducted at least once every 4 years.
January 1, 2028 happens to be the first day after the first parking structure inspection cycle ends in 2027. It’s likely that the DOB will announce more rules as we approach 2028. Specifically, we’ll need to know how the new subcycles will be organized now that cycles are reduced by 2 years. Either way, owners and managers should know that they’ll likely be filing their second round of parking inspections sooner than they originally expected.
It’s also worth noting that a few changes were introduced regarding SREM (safe with repair and/or engineering monitoring) filings:
- Clarifying that a SREM condition assessment is required no earlier than 18 months and no later than two years after the initial filing date
- Adding SREM compliance reports as grounds for an assessment of a civil penalty for late filing and failure to file
- Adding a definition for engineer to require the engineers that work under the QPSI’s direct supervision be in good standing with the New York State Education Department and DOB
Parking Structure Civil Penalties
This rule follows the Council’s Local Law 70 of 2024, which adds several civil penalties for parking structures alongside other city requirements (TPP, site safety plans, etc.)
You can see the full proposed penalty schedule here, in the rule. The rule has a hearing set for December 16th – we’ll confirm once it’s been approved, with any changes or updates.
Stay tuned for future approvals, and more information as we continue to move through the first cycle of required inspections.
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