Queens · Co-ops, condos and two-families

Queens co-op & condo inspections: where your ownership stops

Buying an apartment is not buying a house with fewer rooms. Much of what determines whether it is a good purchase sits on the other side of a wall you will never own.

What can be looked at, and what cannot

Inside the apartment there is plenty to inspect properly: the visible plumbing, the electrical panel and outlets, heating and cooling equipment that serves the unit, windows, finishes, and the evidence of leaks from above or beside.

What generally cannot be observed is the part that costs the most: the building's roof, its boiler and risers, its facade and its structure. Those belong to the corporation, they are usually not accessible during a unit inspection, and their condition arrives in your life as an assessment rather than a repair bill.

This is where New York's rule earns its keep. Under 19 NYCRR 197-5.3(c), a system or major component that was not observed has to be listed in the report as not observed, together with the reasons. In a co-op that list is long — and it is the most useful page in the report, because it tells you exactly which questions to take to the managing agent, the board minutes and your attorney.

An inspector cannot tell you whether the reserve fund is healthy or whether an assessment is coming. He can tell you which parts of the building he was never able to see, which is what makes those questions answerable.

Two-family houses

The other Queens question: is the second unit legal?

If the house you are buying has a second kitchen somewhere, whether that arrangement is a legal two-family — and whether the certificate of occupancy agrees with what is actually there — changes what the property is worth and what a lender will do.

A home inspection reports on condition, not on legality — New York is explicit that an inspector may not determine compliance with codes, laws or ordinances (19 NYCRR 197-4.4(d)). What Lou can do is describe accurately what is there, so that the mismatch, if there is one, is visible to you and your attorney before closing rather than after.

Under contract on an apartment?

A report that tells you what could not be seen, and why, is what turns the rest into questions you can actually put to the managing agent.

Schedule an inspection Call 516-330-3870

Not sure yet? Read what New York requires of your inspector or see a real report.

A multi-occupancy meter bank with circuits labelled by floor, so the report says which one is yours.

The bath exhaust. In a co-op, where that duct actually goes is the question.

Real photographs from Lou's own inspections, chosen because they show a building component and nothing that identifies a property or an owner.

Service area

Where Lou works

Long Island, the five boroughs and Westchester. The eight areas below each have their own page, because a house in Levittown and a brownstone in Brooklyn fail in completely different ways.

The real Google map, focused on Queens — the area this page covers. Every area in the list below opens with its own map.

From the Queens files

More of what Lou has actually photographed on Queens inspections. Open any note to learn what the finding means for a buyer — every link stays on this site.

Red arrow at vertical gap where a brick column meets a concrete block wall — A red arrow marks the open vertical gap where a brick section meets a concrete block wall. Inspectors flag separations between masonry sections because a widening gap can let water in and may indicate movement.

Why this matters — the structure

Cracks and damaged framing are information: their pattern and extent tell the report whether further evaluation by an engineer or the right contractor is the honest next step. The report documents location and extent so change can be seen later. What a condition report does and does not rule on.

Red arrow at the storage capacity line of a Maxim water heater data plate — The manufacturer's data plate on a water heater, with the arrow at the storage capacity line showing a 250-gallon tank. Inspectors record plate data like capacity, pressure ratings, and input to establish the size and specifications of the equipment.

Why this matters — the water heater

Water heaters have a known service life, and their installation — clearance, venting, the gas connection, the pan — matters as much as their age. All of it is checked where it sits. What the write-up looks like.

Heavily corroded black steel pipe and fittings beside a white equipment cabinet — Beside the boiler, the arrow marks the discharge pipe from the temperature-pressure relief valve. The report notes this pipe has threads at its end and recommends evaluation and replacement by a licensed plumbing contractor.

Why this matters — the heating plant

A boiler's data plate gives its real age; the burn chamber and the piping around it give its real condition. Both go in the report so replacement budgeting is arithmetic, not argument. What an inspection costs against what it finds.

Red arrow among wires beside a column of circuit breakers inside an electrical panel — Inside the panel, the arrow marks an older 14-gauge wire connected to a 20-amp breaker — a wire smaller than the breaker protecting it. The report recommends evaluation and repair by a licensed electrical contractor.

Why this matters — the electrical panel

An inspector removes the readily accessible panel covers because New York requires it — most of what matters in a panel is invisible with the cover on. Double-tapped breakers, mixed wire eras and scorched connections are all findings that only appear with the cover off. Why the covers come off.

Two red circles around capped pipe fittings in a debris-filled pit under a floor opening — The red circles mark the two cleanout caps of the home's whole-house drain trap, found under a step platform in the basement. Every drain line passes through this trap on its way to the sewer, so the inspector locates it and records its condition.

Why this matters — the drains

Drains are judged where they are visible — traps, materials, slopes and improvised repairs. An improper fitting works right up until it does not, which is why it belongs in the report while it is still cheap. See how findings are written up in a real report.

Red arrow marking a black rubber hose behind a clothes washer, beside a corroded shutoff valve — Behind the clothes washer, the arrow marks a black rubber supply hose. The report warns this type of hose can burst and recommends changing it to a stainless-steel braided hose.

Why this matters — supply plumbing

Supply plumbing is judged by material and era — and by the small evidence at the joints. Corrosion and mineral tracks at connections show slow weeping long before a failure. Moisture evidence, explained.

All photographs are from Lou's own inspection reports for jobs in this area, screened so nothing identifies a property or an owner.