Why HPD violations make great leads
An HPD violation is public proof that a building needs work, and the landlord has a legal deadline to fix it. For any business that serves NYC building owners, that's a reason to reach out that most cold lists don't have. The trick is reaching the right person quickly.
Step by step
- Pick the violation types that match your offerStart with what's relevant to your business: mold, pests or vermin, lead paint, peeling paint, water leaks, electrical, plumbing. Ignore the rest; volume isn't the goal, relevance is.
- Work from fresh dataPull recent violations from HPD Online or NYC Open Data's Housing Maintenance Code Violations dataset. A violation issued this week is a far better lead than one from last quarter.
- Prioritize by classClass C (immediately hazardous) and Class B (hazardous) come with the shortest deadlines, so owners need help fast. Class A (non-hazardous) is lower priority.
- Find who actually decidesBuildings with 3+ units must register with HPD. The registration records list the owner and the managing agent. The managing agent is often your best first call, because they coordinate repairs.
- Enrich the contactRegistration records rarely include phone numbers or emails. Use skip tracing and tools like ZoomInfo or Apollo.io to find direct contact details.
- Remove people you already knowCheck against your CRM so your team doesn't cold-call existing clients or contacts already in a sequence.
- Split the list and call fastAssign leads evenly across callers and reach out while the violation is new. Mention the specific issue: it shows you did your homework.
- Track what convertsNote which violation types, classes and boroughs turn into meetings, then tighten your filters.
Save hours on reading violations
HPD violation descriptions are long and full of code references. I built a Chrome extension that tags each violation on HPD Online by type (mold, pests, lead paint and more) and hides the rest, so a building can be reviewed at a glance. For full lead generation, I built FindXProp, which runs this whole process for an NYC property-services team.
Want this done for you?
If you'd rather have fresh, call-ready leads delivered to your team, see my HPD violation lead research service or email me.
Frequently asked questions
Is HPD violation data free to use?
Yes. HPD violations and building registrations are public records available through HPD Online and the NYC Open Data portal.
Which violations are the best leads?
The ones your business can fix, ideally Class B or C and recently issued. Relevance and freshness matter more than volume.
Who should I contact about a violation?
Usually the registered managing agent, since they coordinate repairs. The owner is the next best option. Both are listed in HPD's building registration records.
How quickly should I reach out?
As soon as you can after the violation appears. Owners are looking for solutions while the deadline is fresh.