Schenectady, NY Code Violation Reporting: Common Violations (2026)
Key Facts
- Threshold
- 12 pts/12 months or 18 pts/24 months
- 6-point violations
- Drugs, guns, prostitution, gambling, noise
- 4-point violations
- Housing code, illegal business hours
- 3-point violations
- Peace, animal, weights, alcohol codes
- Mayor's power
- Close property up to 1 year
- Proof standard
- Preponderance of the evidence
Summary
Schenectady tracks recurring code and Penal Law violations at a property on a point system: 12 points in 12 months, or 18 points in 24 months, lets the Mayor declare a public nuisance. City Code § 183-1B assigns six points to drug, gun, prostitution and gambling offenses, four to housing-code violations, and three to peace-and-order or animal-code violations.
a public nuisance shall be deemed to exist whenever through violations of any of the following provisions resulting from separate incidents at a building, erection or place, 12 or more points are accumulated within a period of 12 months, or 18 or more points within a period of 24 months, in accordance with the following point system. ... The following violations shall be assigned a point value of six points: A ... rticle 220 of the Penal Law (controlled substances offenses). ... Chapter 182 of the Code (noise). ... The following violations shall be assigned a point value of four points: ... Chapter 167 of the Code (housing standards and property maintenance). ... The following violations shall be assigned a point value of three points: ... Chapter 192 of the Code (peace and good order).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4990798; v11 updated 2026-04-13; through 04-13-2026).
Full Breakdown
Adopted in 1998 and amended in 2002 and again on February 10, 2025, § 183-1 of the Nuisances chapter lets the City Council authorize the Mayor to impose sanctions on properties where certain violations recur. Under § 183-1B, a public nuisance exists once separate incidents at a building accumulate 12 points within 12 months or 18 points within 24 months. Six-point violations include Penal Law Articles 220 and 221 (controlled substances and marijuana offenses), Article 225 (gambling), Article 230 (prostitution), Article 265 (firearms), the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law, and Chapter 182 of the City Code (noise).
Four-point violations include Chapter 167 (housing standards and property maintenance), operating during hours a business must be closed under the Zoning Ordinance, and exceeding occupancy limits. Three-point violations include Chapter 192 (peace and good order), Chapter 144 (dogs and other animals), Chapter 260 (weights and measures) and Chapter 126 (alcoholic beverages). A conviction is not required; the City need only prove the violations by a preponderance of the evidence, though an actual conviction or a civil compromise acknowledgment is conclusive proof.
Violations & Fines
Once the point threshold is met, § 183-2 lets the Mayor, after notice and a hearing, order the building closed for up to a year, suspend or revoke a certificate of use for up to six months to a year, or suspend or revoke any occupational license tied to the premises. Disobeying a closure order is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $250 or 15 days in jail; intentionally disobeying the Mayor's order carries up to $1,000 or six months.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts toward Schenectady's nuisance point system?
How many points trigger a public nuisance finding in Schenectady?
Do I need a criminal conviction for the points to count?
What can the Mayor do once a property hits the point threshold?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Schenectady
New York rules heatmap·Compare Schenectady to another location·View the New York code violation reporting overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.