NYC Certificate Of Occupancy And Letters Of No Objection

It is becoming more and more common for purchasers, attorneys, and lenders to require more than just a note stating that a property built prior to 1938 without a Certificate of Occupancy can legally be used as intended. The NYC Department of Buildings typically did not require a certificate of Occupancy before January 1, 1938 to confirm the legal use of the property.

In cases where parties in a real estate transaction are worried about the legality of the current usage of the property that was built prior to 1938, the DOB issues a Letter of No Objection (LNO). This is a letter directly from the DOB stating that they have no objection to the current usage of the property and a New Certificate of Occupancy is not required.