Albany requires every rental dwelling unit to be registered with the Department of Buildings & Regulatory Compliance and to hold a Residential Occupancy Permit (ROP). A ROP is issued only after a Code Enforcement inspection finds the unit compliant with the NYS Uniform Code and Albany City Code. Permits last 24 months. The $50 per-unit fee covers the initial inspection plus one follow-up; additional re-inspections cost $50 each.
Albany City Code Chapter 231, Part 4 — the Rental Dwelling Registry — and the linked Residential Occupancy Permit (ROP) program together form Albany's mandatory rental-inspection regime. Every owner of a residential rental unit in the city must (1) register the unit with the Department of Buildings & Regulatory Compliance using the Rental Dwelling Registry Form and (2) obtain a Residential Occupancy Permit before the unit can be lawfully occupied. The ROP is issued only after a Code Enforcement Officer inspects the unit and finds it in compliance with the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code and Part 2 of Chapter 231 (the Housing Code).
A standard ROP inspection looks at seven things: working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors; unobstructed means of egress; general cleanliness and sanitation; unit security (locks on exterior doors and ground-floor windows); structural integrity of floors, walls, and ceilings; safe electric facilities; and access to running, clean potable water. The $50 per-unit registration fee covers the initial inspection and one follow-up. If a unit still has violations after the follow-up, every subsequent re-inspection costs an additional $50 per unit. ROPs are valid for 24 months from issuance, after which the owner must re-register and the unit must be re-inspected. Owner-occupied rental dwellings containing no more than one rental unit and owned entirely by persons aged 65 or older are exempt from the $50 fee, although registration is still required.
The ROP is the landlord's legal authority to rent. Renting an unregistered unit, or a unit whose ROP has lapsed, is a code violation that exposes the owner to fines and — under Chapter 231 — to a stop-occupancy or vacate order. Tenants have an explicit right under the code to inspect the ROP for the unit they live in or are considering, at no cost.
Operating a rental dwelling without a valid ROP is a violation of Chapter 231 enforceable by the Department of Buildings & Regulatory Compliance. Civil penalties typically run $250–$1,000 per unit per offense, with each day of continued violation treated as a separate offense. The city can issue a vacate order for units that remain non-compliant after notice and follow-up. Repeat violators can be referred to the Corporation Counsel for prosecution. Tenants can report unregistered rentals via 311 or SeeClickFix.
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