For the last several years, the city of New York has been implementing laws to ensure public safety. These local laws are a direct response to deadly gas explosions, like those that took place in East Harlem (2014) and the East Village (2015).
One of the most prominent laws is Local Law 152, designed to ensure periodic inspections of a building’s gas piping system at least once every 4 years. Originally passed by the New York City Council in 2016, this law has finally come into full effect with final inspection dates looming for 2023.
In this post, we share more details on how you can stay compliant. We will also share ways that you can create a comprehensive detection system that will further protect your tenants and building from losses.
What is Local Law 152 and Who Does it Apply to?
Local Law 152 requires the inspection of your building’s gas piping system once every four years by a licensed master plumber. You are responsible for reporting and fixing any unsafe or hazardous conditions immediately. Additionally, you will need to provide the findings of the inspection to both the Department’s Plumbing Enforcement Inspections Unit and your utility company.
Local Law 152 applies to any building that is not a one or two bedroom home. This includes, but is not limited to:
Residential buildings and Multi-family homes
Commercial buildings
Co-ops
Condo Boards
In addition to your building’s internal gas piping system, you will also need your adjacent piping systems inspected. First Service Residential notes that, “for multifamily properties, this includes exposed gas piping outside and inside the building, in boiler rooms, in all amenity and common spaces, rooftop mechanical spaces, and publicly-accessible areas.” The licensed master plumber will complete this inspection on your behalf and should be aware of local regulations.
Local Law 152's requirements and compliance
It is important to note that both the building owner and local inspection entity are responsible for insuring compliance by properly reporting and certifying the inspection.
Once the inspection has been completed, you will receive a signed and sealed Gas Piping System Periodic Inspection Certification from your licensed master plumber. In addition to notifying the appropriate governmental department, you are also required to notify your local utility company regarding the inspection results.
Here is a breakdown of what is required to comply with Local Law 152:
Be prepared for your inaugural and re-inspection dates
Follow compliance timelines for reporting and certification
Report and correct unsafe or hazardous conditions
Be prepared for your inaugural and re-inspection dates
The inaugural compliance inspections for Local Law 152 first began in 2020 and are continuing into 2023. You will need to insure that your building is re-inspected every 4 years based on the date of your initial inspection.
As deadlines approach, the government occasionally issues extensions. Be sure to check out the NYC Government’s website to check that the following dates have not changed for your community district.
For more information, you may refer to the NYC Government’s November 2019 Service Notice.
Type of Inspection | Date of Inspection | Buildings In Community Districts |
Inaugural | January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023 | 11, 12, 14, 15, and 17 in all boroughs |
Re-Inspection 1* | January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024 | 1, 3 and 10 in all boroughs |
Re-Inspection 1* | January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025 | 2, 5, 7, 13, and 18 in all boroughs |
Re-Inspection 1* | January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026 | 4, 6, 8, 9, and 16 in all boroughs |
*Re-Inspection 1 refers to the first inspection taking place 4 years after the inaugural inspections of 2020-2023.
Follow compliance timelines for reporting and certification
Local Law 152 provides a comprehensive breakdown of the expectations for the timeline in which you will need to report and certify that your building is compliant.
Below is a brief breakdown of the required timeline. You may also want to reference the official announcement of Local Law 152 for a detailed breakdown.
The NYC Government website also lists a step-by-step compliance guide if you are in need of additional information to determine if this law applies to you.
Compliance timelines for reporting and certification:
Less than 30 days after inspection the inspecting entity will provide the owner with an inspection report and a certification of the licensed master plumber present at the inspection
Between 60 days before the due date of the inspection and no later than the inspection day, the owner will submit a certification from the licensed master plumber.
No later than 90 days after the inspection due date, the owner shall electronically submit or cause to be submitted by the inspection entity, the report to the utility company providing gas to the building.
No later than 120 days after the inspection due date, the building owner shall submit the certification from the licensed master plumber that all conditions identified in the inspection report have been corrected (unless conditions are part of the pre-approved ones that will take additional time to complete) and a certification from the owner that they are in compliance with section 3 above (submitting the report to the utility company).
All reports and certifications required will be kept on file by the building entity and building owner for at least 8 years after the inspection date so that it may be made available upon department request.
Report and correct unsafe or hazardous conditions
According to the New York City Government’s Local Law 152 FAQ (May 2022), you should, “Report conditions that require immediate notification to the owner, the appropriate utility (National Grid (718) 643-4050 or Con Edison (800) 752-6633) and the Department’s Plumbing Enforcement Inspections Unit at (212) 393-2557 or PlumbingEnfIR@buildings.nyc.gov.”
We’ve compiled a list of possibly unsafe and hazardous conditions below, but you may also reference Controlled Combustion’s list of abnormal operating conditions for more information.
Examples of unsafe conditions
Illegal gas connections
Non-compliant installations
Aged equipment
Theft of service
Diversion of service
Examples of hazardous conditions
Detection of gas or CO2 leaking into the air
Excessive piping corrosion
Pipe cracks
Any other hazard requiring the gas to be shut off
Installing a System of Smart Detectors
With New York implementing a variety of new measures to protect its citizens, you might want also want to consider being proactive about protecting your building and tenants. One way you can do this is by turning your building into a smart building.
Currently, New York law requires smoke, carbon monoxide, and gas detectors to be installed in your building. These are often the kinds of “dumb” technologies that can only alert you to danger via audio cues (such as beeping).
Going beyond smart detectors, an article from Forbes claims that ‘the future of IoT hinges on connected insight”. That is why it is a good idea to consider augmenting this existing system with a supplemental system of smart detectors. By installing sensors that can communicate with you via text, email, and phone, you will gain real-time insights into your home.
According to Corey Menscher, founder of Perceptive Things®, “Smart detectors play a key role in allowing building owners and managers to take immediate action and know the exact location of a potential leak. That is why it is important to install a comprehensive system of detectors in response to your building’s unique risk profile.”
Smart detectors are able to provide you with comprehensive information about your building like never before. This allows you to perceive what is happening in your building in a whole new way!
Below is an example video of a water leak detection system, however you can also customize these systems to monitor for motion, smoke, temperature, etc. Visit our products page to learn more about the varieties of sensors offered by Perceptive Things®.
Why Local Law 152 is important for the future of gas in New York
Local Law 152 is one of the first steps toward addressing gas-related dangers in New York City. As with any law, it will take some time before we are able to evaluate the effectiveness of this law as it pertains to decreasing explosions.
The New York City Council has been very active in providing updates regarding Law 152 and insuring that all buildings are able to obtain compliance. Additionally, they’ve been taking more steps to reduce natural gas in residential buildings out of concern for both the client and safety.
In 2021, New York City banned natural gas hook-ups for new buildings. This year, the state Climate Action Council, “requires energy-efficient electric heat pumps or other non-combustion heating systems in every new home built in 2025 or thereafter.” It is increasingly becoming a trend that New York as a whole is moving away from gas.
We anticipate that this trend of increasing vigilance will continue well into 2023 and beyond. If you’re interested in learning more about our gas, heat, and temperature sensors please visit our products page.
What are your thoughts on Local Law 152? Do you think New York City will be able to effectively restrict gas use in buildings by 2025? We’d love to hear from you in the comments section!
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