What Defect Letter Issued means on an HPD violation.
HPD found the certification of correction defective: the paperwork failed, not necessarily the repair. The violation stays open and uncertified.
26,018 NYC violations inspected since August 7, 2023 have the status Defect Letter Issued, in HPD's data through September 28, 2026.
See what is open on one building.
What happens next
HPD expects a corrected certification. Until one is accepted, the violation counts as open, and on hazardous classes the penalty clock keeps running.
What to do
The defect letter says what failed. Wrong dates, a missing signature and the wrong form are the common ones. Fix the paperwork and file it again quickly.
If this is on a building you own or manage, you file with HPD directly. We report what the city publishes; we do not file for anyone. Look up your own building.
If it is on your building and you would rather hand it off, ask to be introduced to one firm that files it.
Get one introductionRead how the filing works
If you rent here
The paperwork the owner filed failed HPD's review, which says nothing either way about the repair itself. The violation still counts as open, and HPD Online shows whether a corrected certification has been filed since.
Buildings with violations reading Defect Letter Issued
12 of the 3,707 buildings with a page on this site that have violations reading Defect Letter Issued, a different 12 each week, listed by street. Each count matches the Status column on that building’s page.
- 2305 2 Avenue, Manhattan 5 violations reading Defect Letter Issued
- 41-29 46 Street, Queens 8 violations reading Defect Letter Issued
- 580 52 Street, Brooklyn 4 violations reading Defect Letter Issued
- 690 Allerton Avenue, Bronx 1 violation reading Defect Letter Issued
- 240 East 18 Street, Brooklyn 8 violations reading Defect Letter Issued
- 852 East 213 Street, Bronx 4 violations reading Defect Letter Issued
- 152 Marcus Garvey Boulevard, Brooklyn 1 violation reading Defect Letter Issued
- 1600 Sedgwick Avenue, Bronx 74 violations reading Defect Letter Issued
- 556 Thomas S Boyland Street, Brooklyn 1 violation reading Defect Letter Issued
- 127 West 43 Street, Manhattan 6 violations reading Defect Letter Issued
- 619 West 163 Street, Manhattan 4 violations reading Defect Letter Issued
- 580 West 176 Street, Manhattan 3 violations reading Defect Letter Issued
Does a defect letter mean the repair was rejected?
No. It means the certification paperwork failed review. The condition may well be fixed, but it does not count as certified until the paperwork passes.
Counts from HPD's violation data on NYC Open Data. This is a plain-English guide, not legal advice. All status codes, violations by borough, citywide, ViolationScout.