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February 25th, 2021Local Law 152: NYC Gas Piping Inspections and Extensions
Schedule Your 2020 and 2021 Inspections Today
At the last minute in December, the New York City Council approved and enacted an extension on Local Law 152 Gas Piping Inspections for those properties due for an inspection in the 2020 calendar year. This gives property owners and managers a reprieve on gas inspections given the unusual circumstances around the pandemic this year. Here’s a refresher on your inspection requirements and what the extension means for you.
Local Law 152: The Basics
Applies to all but R-3 properties
If you are new to property ownership or management in New York City, you may not yet be familiar with Local Law 152. If you own a residential property of one or two units (class R-3), you are exempt from the law. Otherwise, you must adhere to Local Law 152, whether you own apartments or commercial buildings.
Safety for NYC residents
The law was created in 2016 and finally implemented in 2019 to reduce the risk of gas explosions and fires for city dwellers, workers, and first responders. If you are a landlord or property manager, following Local Law 152 can also help protect you from property damage, lawsuits, and up to $10,000 in fines.
What the law says
Local Law 152 states that all applicable properties must have their gas piping inspected regularly on a four-year schedule. Only a licensed master plumber (LMP) like Sanitary Plumbing, or certain persons with the right qualifications working under a master plumber, may perform inspections.
The LMP submits a Gas Piping Periodic Inspection Report (GPS1) to the building owner within 30 days of performing an inspection. Within 60 days of the inspection, the property owner must then file a Gas Piping System Periodic Inspection Certification (GPS2) with the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB). Whoever performs the inspection for you completes the certification, which is signed and sealed.
You may submit your GPS2 documentation through a city portal dedicated to this purpose. There is no fee to submit a GPS2 with the city.
Common Questions About Gas Inspections
What parts of the building are inspected?
Any exposed gas piping from the point of entry to your building must be inspected. The following may be included:
- Mechanical and boiler room piping
- Service meters for your building
- Piping in public spaces, corridors, and hallways
Will your tenants be inconvenienced by gas shutoffs?
Your tenants may not even know your property is being inspected because it’s so unobtrusive. Piping within individual units is not inspected. There is no air pressure test with this inspection, nor does your service need to be interrupted.
What if you fail your initial inspection?
If your inspector finds anything with your gas piping that is an immediate danger, such as a gas leak, your gas will be shut off and the Utility will be called. All the normal precautions, like not using electronic devices or light switches, should be followed until the fire department has responded and the area has been made safe.
If there is nothing dangerous, but there are still things that need to be fixed, you have 120 days to remedy the issue and submit a new certification (Certification of Correction), which still must be signed and sealed by your LMP.
If repairs are necessary that may take longer than the 120 days, which can happen, especially during winter, you have 180 days to perform the repairs and submit your documentation through the portal. However, your licensed master plumber has to indicate that you need extra time when the GPS1 inspection report is filled out.
How do you know your inspection schedule?
Under normal conditions, the city keeps an inspection schedule online. It organizes inspection timelines by district, so you should check which district your property is in. This year is an anomaly, though, so be sure to check out the information about inspection extensions for 2021, below.
What if you have no gas piping on your property?
If you don’t have gas piping, you are exempt from the inspection requirement. In that instance, you need to submit a certification every four years from a registered design professional, such as an architect, documenting your lack of gas piping.
How long do you need to keep your gas inspection documentation?
All documentation relating to Local Law 152 must be kept by the property owner for at least 10 years following inspection and submission.
How can you prepare for a gas piping inspection?
The best way to prepare for your NYC gas piping inspection is to keep up with maintenance on your property related to gas piping. There are some things you can do on your own, but if you find repairs beyond your expertise or run into problems, we’re happy to make a service call to assist you.
Local Law 152 Gas Inspections Extension for 2021
Immediate impact
The extension on gas inspections for Local Law 152 in 2021 has two key provisions:
- If you own property in Districts 1, 3, or 10, you now have until June 30, 2021 to submit your inspection or certification documents to the DOB.
- If you submitted an inspection between September and December of 2020, you are now permitted to submit a Certification of Correction without adhering to the 120-day or 180-day deadlines as described above, as long as you file them by June 30, 2021.
- If you own property in Districts 2, 5, 7, 13, and 18, you have until December 31, 2021 to submit your inspection or certification documents to the DOB.
Don’t Wait to Schedule Your Gas Piping Inspection!
Schedule now to stay on top of it
The extension is favorable for many New York City properties, but June 30th will be here before you know it. Therefore, you don’t want to wait to schedule your gas piping inspection for Local Law 152.
Sanitary Plumbing performs gas inspections as licensed master plumbers. Call us at 212-734-5000, or use our convenient online form to schedule an appointment.
