Syracuse, NY Rental Inspections: Inspection Programs (2026)
Key Facts
- Covered properties
- 1- & 2-family non-owner-occupied
- Certificate term
- Three years, then renew
- Inspection
- Interior + exterior by Code Enforcement
- Fee
- $150 per dwelling
- Enforcing agency
- Division of Code Enforcement
Summary
Syracuse requires owners of one- and two-family non-owner-occupied rentals to hold a rental registry certificate, renewed every three years, and to pass an interior and exterior code inspection by the Division of Code Enforcement before the certificate issues.
(a) Effective January 1, 2011, owners are required to obtain a rental registry certificate for each one-family and/or two-family non-owner occupied dwelling rented or leased within the city of Syracuse. (b) Effective July 1, 2018, rental registry certificates will expire three (3) years after they are issued... All renewal rental registry certificates shall be issued for a three (3) year period.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 41).
Full Breakdown
Every one- and two-family non-owner-occupied dwelling rented in Syracuse must carry a rental registry certificate. Certificates expire three years after issuance and renewals run three years. To obtain one, the property must pass an exterior and interior inspection by the Division of Code Enforcement, have no open code cases, be current on all taxes and water bills, and have no pending nuisance abatement proceedings or closure orders. Applications are filed by the city's four quadrants on a rolling odd/even-year schedule, and a $150 application and processing fee applies per dwelling. If an owner declines consent to inspect, the city may apply for an inspection warrant.
Violations & Fines
Renting a covered dwelling without a certificate is unlawful under Chapter 27. During any period of noncompliance no owner may collect rent, and unpaid equitable-value rent cannot be used as a basis for eviction.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often is a Syracuse rental inspected?
Which properties need a rental registry certificate?
What happens if I don't register?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Syracuse
New York rules heatmap·Compare Syracuse to another location·View the New York rental inspections overview
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