It’s hard to miss all the sidewalk sheds in New York City. The City’s buildings are covered in scaffolding. We’ve received tons of building reviews from renters on openigloo about how their buildings NEVER take down the scaffolding. Their views and sunlight are perpetually obstructed by these ugly metal installations. The reason this happens is because building facades need to be inspected every 5 years to comply with Local Law 11. Here are 4 things you need to know about Local Law 11:
1. We have this law because of a tragic incident in 1980.
Local Law 11 and its predecessor, Local Law 10 came into effect after Grace Gold, a Barnard student, was killed by falling terra cotta from a building. The law mandates that buildings with more than six stories undergo facade inspections every five years. It covers approximately 12,500 buildings in New York City, including condos and co-ops.
2. Non-compliance with Local Law 11 can result in significant penalties.
In an effort to avoid the costs of facade repairs, putting up and taking down the sheds, owners will opt to just keep them up all the time. Some tenants have complained of sidewalk sheds being up for decades!
3. Mayor Eric Adams announced the “Get Sheds Down” program to erase scaffolding in NYC.
This program aims to expedite the removal of sidewalk sheds and scaffolding. That’s why you may have noticed a change in the look of your neighborhood recently.
4. Drones could replace the need for sidewalk scaffolding in NYC.
There’s a push by the City Council to legalize the use of drones for facade inspections, which could potentially enhance the detail and efficiency of inspections.
While Local Law 11 has been critical in preventing accidents, it has also created an added burden to building operators who rather err on the side of caution when it comes to compliance. Does your building have scaffolding? How long has it been up? Be sure to share an anonymous review on openigloo and help the next renter who considers your spot.