Local Law 157 of 2016 may not be at the top of your mind, but if you’re a residential property owner, it should be. Local Law 157 (LL157) mandates that by May 1, 2025, natural gas detectors must be installed in residential buildings.
LL157 applies to multi-family as well as single-family residences:
- Class A multiple dwellings, as defined by Chapter 2 of the Housing Maintenance Code as “a multiple dwelling that is occupied for permanent residence purposes.” This includes apartments, condos, and co-ops.
- Class B multiple dwellings, which are multiple dwellings that are “occupied, as a rule, transiently” and include dorms, hotels, clubhouses, and housing shelters.
- Private dwellings, defined by LL157 as a dwelling unit in a one-family or two-family home that is occupied by someone other than the owner or the owner’s family.
LL157 requires property owners and managers to “provide and install” smoke detectors and alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and alarms, and natural gas detectors and alarms. Owners must also replace such devices when they reach end-of-life. Gas detectors must comply with LL157 requirements.
While LL157 was originally passed in 2016, it wasn’t until 2023 that the National Fire Protection Association published national standards for installing gas detectors. Now that a standard exists, compliance can be mandated and enforced. (By now, owners should be in compliance with the smoke and carbon monoxide detector requirements, but if not, that should be a priority.)
