Apartment Building

Apartment building – In simple terms for a homeowner, an apartment building in NYC DOB terms is a residential building that provides living space for three or more separate households, subjecting it to specialized housing and safety regulations different from smaller residential buildings or commercial properties.

In the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) code, an “apartment building” is specifically defined as a residential use building, or the residential portion of a mixed-use building, that contains three or more dwelling units (apartments). It excludes structures like townhouses or stacked townhouses. This means it is a building intended for multiple families or residents living in separate units within the same structure. The classification triggers specific building code requirements and regulations, such as safety standards for elevators, window guards, egress, and occupancy rules under the Multiple Dwelling Law.

This distinguishes an apartment building from other structures like single-family homes, two-family homes, or commercial buildings. Single-family and two-family homes do not meet the apartment building criteria because they contain fewer than three apartments. Mixed-use buildings can have an apartment building portion if they include three or more dwelling units as part of the residential use.

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