Natural Gas Detectors

Effective date: January 1, 2027

Proposed Rule Full Text
HPD-Proposed-Rule-Amendments-Natural-Gas-Detectors-June-2025.pdf

Adopted Rule Full Text
FINAL-Rule-Amendments-Regarding-Natural-Gas-Detectors_Final12.23.25.pdf

Adopted rule summary:

Notice of Adoption

Notice of Adoption of amendments to rules relating to the installation of natural gas detecting devices in residential buildings.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to the authority vested in the Commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (“HPD”) by sections 1043 and 1802 of the New York City Charter and Administrative Code section 27-2090, Local Law 157 of 2016, as amended by Local Law 102 of 2025, and in accordance with the requirements of New York City Charter section 1043, that the Department promulgates amendments to sections 12-01, 12-02, 12-03, 12-04, 12-05, 12-06, 12-07, 12-08, 12-09, 12-10, 12-11, 12-12.1, and adds new sections 12-09.1, 12-09.2, 12-13, and 12-14 to Chapter 12 of Title 28 of the Rules of the City of New York relating to smoke detecting devices, carbon monoxide detecting devices, and natural gas detecting devices in multiple dwellings and private dwellings. A notice of proposed rulemaking was published in the City Record on June 16, 2025. HPD held a public hearing on the proposed rule amendments on July 16, 2025. Five (5) comments were received. The comments included complaints about reimbursement amounts that are included in Local Law 157 of 2016 and, thus, cannot be modified by a rule, and requests to provide recommendations on vendors to install natural gas detection devices, which HPD is prohibited from providing.

Statement of Basis and Purpose

Local Law 157 for the year 2016 (“Local Law 157” or “the law”) repealed Administrative Code sections 27-2045, 27-2046, 27-2046.1 and 27-2046.2 and added a new section 27-2045 to require that owners of Class A multiple dwellings, Class B multiple dwellings and certain private dwellings, in addition to the existing requirements of installing one or more smoke detecting devices and carbon monoxide detecting devices, install a natural gas detecting device in each dwelling unit in accordance with applicable sections of the New York City Building Code or the 1968 Building Code. For natural gas detecting devices, section 27-2045(b)(1)(c) provides owners of Class B multiple dwellings with the alternative of installing a line-operated zoned natural gas detecting system. In addition, Local Law 157 requires that owners maintain and periodically replace any device installed per the requirements of section 27-2045. The adopted rule amendments reflect these requirements.

Local Law 157 also required that the Department of Buildings (“DOB”) promulgate a rule that establishes or adopts a standard governing the installation and location of single- or multiple-station alarms responsive to natural gas, which DOB did, effective February 14, 2024. On July 30, 2025, the New York City Council enacted Local Law 102 for the year 2025, which postponed the natural gas alarm installation requirement set forth in Local Law 157 until January 1, 2027 and would require the DOB Commissioner to extend the date by which such alarms must be installed to January 1, 2029 if DOB finds that there is an insufficient number of manufacturers of battery-powered natural gas alarms. In addition, Local Law 157 and the adopted rule amendments require that the owner notify tenants about the owner’s requirement to provide, maintain, and replace such devices. The owner is also required to provide at least one adult occupant of each dwelling unit with information regarding the risks of natural gas leaks, the testing and maintenance of natural gas detecting devices, what to do if such devices sound an alert, their useful life, and other important information. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (“HPD”) also adopts rule amendments to provide building owners with the option of installing digital signage to fulfill notice requirements regarding smoke detecting devices, carbon monoxide detecting devices, and natural gas detecting devices contained within HPD rules and the Housing Maintenance Code. HPD adopts these amendments, along with additional amendments included in a separate rule, because digital signage can be a more efficient means than printed signs for conveying important information to occupants and guests by enabling occupants to view information easily and efficiently.

The adopted rule includes minor plain language edits throughout and contains cross references to sections of Title 28 as amended by another rule, relating to signage requirements for building owners, which HPD is promulgating at approximately the same time as this rule. The adopted rule also makes corrections to citations to the New York city construction codes that appear in these rules and, in order to align the adopted rule with the DOB rule setting forth standards for the installation and location of natural gas alarms, clarifies that where the existing space does not allow for installation at least 3 feet from a fuel-gas burning appliance, or the manufacturer’s instructions or NFPA 715-2023 require installation in a difference location, alarm installations must be placed in accordance with the manufacturer’s or the NFPA 715 location requirements.

HPD’s authority for these rules is found in sections 1043 and 1802 of the New York City Charter, and Local Law 157 for the year 2016, as amended by Local Law 102 for the year 2025.