We manage the paperwork side of Local Law 11: DOB NOW: Safety filings, status tracking, deadline management, and amnesty for buildings that have fallen behind.
Even a straightforward Safe result has to be filed correctly, on time, in the right system, or the compliance does not count. For buildings with SWARMP or Unsafe conditions, the paperwork multiplies: initial reports, amended reports after repairs, extension requests, penalty payments, and status changes that carry forward to the next cycle. We manage that administrative layer so that your inspection and repairs actually translate into an accepted, up-to-date record with the Department of Buildings.
All FISP reports are filed electronically through the DOB NOW: Safety portal. The QEWI prepares and submits the report, but the filing has to reflect the correct sub-cycle, classification, and supporting documentation, and it has to be accepted, not merely submitted. A report that is rejected for a technical defect can leave a building exposed to penalties while everyone assumes it is compliant. We track filings through to acceptance so there are no surprises.
A SWARMP classification is a promise to the city that specific conditions will be corrected before the next cycle. That promise is easy to lose track of over five years, especially across a portfolio or when management changes. We keep a running record of each building’s status, the conditions that have to be resolved, and the deadline they are tied to, so that a SWARMP item does not quietly age into an Unsafe finding on the next inspection.
Cycle 10 introduced an amnesty path. Owners whose buildings show a status of No Report Filed may file an early initial report to stop penalties from accumulating, provided pending civil penalties are paid before the report is approved. If your building is behind, this is often the fastest way to stop new penalties.
Some Unsafe conditions cannot be fully corrected within the initial timeframe, whether because of the scope of the repair, weather, access, or landmark and approval requirements. In those cases an extension of time can be requested from the Department, with the required public protection maintained in the interim. Managing these requests correctly keeps a building in good standing while the work is genuinely underway, rather than accruing penalties for a delay that has a legitimate reason.
Because FISP status runs with the property, a building's filing history is part of its value. A record of on-time Safe reports is an asset at sale; a No Report Filed status, an open Unsafe condition, or unpaid penalties are liabilities a buyer will find and price in. We review compliance history during a purchase or sale so there are no surprises at closing, and we can bring a neglected building current through the filing and, where applicable, the amnesty process.
A submitted report is not the same as an accepted one. Filings are commonly held up by mismatched sub-cycle information, incomplete documentation, unpaid penalties that block approval, or details that do not line up with the Department's records. A building whose report was rejected on a technicality can sit exposed to penalties while everyone assumes it is compliant. We follow each filing through to acceptance and clear any objections rather than treating submission as the finish line.
For owners and managers with multiple buildings, the challenge is not any single filing but keeping dozens of them straight - different sub-cycles, different deadlines, different open conditions, all moving at once. We track each building's window, status, and outstanding items in one place, so the portfolio is managed as a system rather than a stack of separate emergencies. Nothing sits until a deadline forces it.
The most common way owners get hurt by FISP is not a bad inspection result; it is a missed date. A filing window closes, a SWARMP correction deadline passes, an amended report never gets filed after repairs. We hold every relevant date for your building - the filing window, correction deadlines, re-inspection timing, and extension expirations - and drive the process so the compliance record stays current. You get the clean status; we handle the calendar and the paperwork.
All FISP reports are filed electronically through the DOB NOW: Safety portal and must be accepted by the Department of Buildings, not just submitted, to count as compliant.
Cycle 10's amnesty path lets buildings with a No Report Filed status file an early initial report to stop penalties from accumulating, provided pending civil penalties are paid before the report is approved. We can walk you through it.
In many cases yes. An extension of time can be requested from the DOB for Unsafe conditions that cannot be corrected within the initial timeframe, as long as required public protection stays in place.
Send us your address and we will confirm whether FISP applies, which sub-cycle you are in, and when your report is due - at no charge.
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