Understanding Local Law 152 of 2016
Part of a group of regulations on gas safety, Local Law 152 of 2016 (LL152/16) passed in 2016. In late 2019, the DOB put parameters around LL152/16 and its inspection criteria. These rules took effect on January 1, 2020, and involve nearly 300,000 buildings. Here are the inspection requirements you need to be aware of, from exemptions to cycles and filing your reports.
About Local Law 152 of 2016
Local Law 152 of 2016 requires building owners to regularly have gas piping systems inspected. The only buildings exempt are those with R-3 occupancy. R-3 occupancy status refers to buildings (or parts of buildings) that have one or two units and fewer than 20 tenants. For any questions on if your building has R-3 status, take a look at your Certificate of Occupancy.
Who can perform gas piping system inspections?
Inspections can only be performed by a licensed master plumber (LMP), or a qualified professional who is supervised by an LMP. Make sure the professional you hire is familiar with gas-piping system inspections and the testing devices approved by New York State.
When do my inspections need to occur?
For existing structures without R-3 occupancy classification, inspections are grouped by community district. (Find your community district here.) Each community district has its own inspection cycle.
January 1–December 31, 2020: districts 1, 3, and 10 (all boroughs)
January 1–December 31, 2021: districts 2, 5, 7, 13, and 18 (all boroughs)
January 1–December 31, 2022: districts 4, 6, 8, 9, and 16 (all boroughs)
January 1–December 31, 2023: districts 11, 12, 14, 15, and 17 (all boroughs)
After these cycles, inspections will need to take place every four years. Your building’s inspection will be due one year from the date it previously occurred.
New construction LL152/16 inspections
Any new construction that received a Certificate of Occupancy on January 1, 2020, or later, don’t need inspections until 10 years after the Certificate Occupancy was issued. After that first inspection, these buildings will follow the community district cycles set above.
Your LMP report and filing your inspection certification
Building owners should expect to receive a report from an LMP (or a qualified plumber supervised by an LMP) within one month, or 30 days, of their inspection. The Gas Piping System Periodic Inspection Report sent to building owners needs to be completed in form GPS1.
Within 60 days of the inspection date, building owners must ensure the DOB has a GPS2 form, or Gas Piping System Periodic Inspection Certification. This for needs to be signed and sealed by the LMP who completed the inspection.
Making sure your certification is filed with the DOB is important. Any buildings who haven’t filed by their due date will have to schedule and undergo another gas piping inspection.
How much time do I have to correct any issues the inspection shows?
Building owners have 120 days—approximately four months—to correct issues brought to light during the inspection. At that time, another GPS2 form needs to be filed with the DOB. This form must be completed, signed, and sealed by the same LMP who performed the first inspection.
In some instances, additional time may be given or necessary to make identified corrections. If this is the case, it needs to be clear in your GPS2 form. Unless conditions are hazardous, you’ll have 180 days from your first inspection to correct these issues. All issues need to be up-to-date with NYC building codes and have applicable work permits.
Do buildings without gas piping have to comply with Local Law 152 of 2016?
Yes and no. If your building doesn’t have a gas piping system, you’ll need to certify that information with the DOB. Instead of an inspection report, a registered design professional should sign and seal a GPS2 form attesting that no gas piping exists. This process will repeat every four years.
Violations of LL152/16
Like any regulations, you’ll want to follow LL152/16 thoroughly. Keep copies of your reports filed and accessible for 10 years of the inspection date. Also, make sure your documentation is complete and filed on time with the DOB. Fines of up to $10,000 can be issued for late inspection certifications.
