The compliance rhythm that saved my sanity (NY/CA especially)
I’m a small landlord with older multis in NYC. I used to play defense with compliance. Meaning: I waited for the city to tell me what I missed. That game ends one way: fines and Saturdays spent calling plumbers who don’t answer.
Here’s how I run it now.
30 min unit check (quarterly): Do NOT wait for tenants to report problems. Many adapt to issues for months. I look for moisture around radiators/baseboards, bathroom fans, GFCI outlets, window guards, fridge door seals not cracked (tenants will never report this, your electric bill will), under-sink P-traps for slow drips. None of this shows up on a city checklist.
Set it and forget it calendar rule: Once a year, I load ALL recurring compliance dates (local rental registration renewal, Fire safety notices,
Lead / window guard, annual inspection deadlines). Every event has an action (e.g., Send heating notice to tenant mailbox + email PDF).
Be proactive on mechanical inspections. I schedule boiler/HVAC service for at least two months BEFORE winter (or summer) season. Helps you avoid MOST emergencies. Log service dates so you're not guessing.
Pest control checks. Most landlords treat pests as a tenant problem. Pests are a building envelope problem. Quarterly: silicone every gap under sinks, sweep basement/crawl spaces even if tenants never see them.
Quarterly text reminders: Once per quarter I send: “Quick check-in. Anything dripping, smelling, buzzing, grinding, or slow? This is coupled with the pending unit check noted above. Tenants rarely report problems because they think they’re being annoying. I suffer from this as a landlord and a tenant. This message solves that.