New Year? Time to Check Those Permits

By Andrew J. Pisani

It’s the start of 2014, and that means one thing – the expiration of annual permits.

Annual permits have a way of being over-looked, and we can no longer rely on the City Agencies to send out a reminder or annual bill on time. If deadlines pass, it’s your problem, not theirs.

Now’s a good time to check all of your permits, and make sure you are in compliance.

1)    Public Assembly Permits including the renewal of you Flame Spread Affidavits for all your fabric.

2)    Compressor/HVAC permits

3)    Canopy

4)    Marquees

5)    Business Signage & Billboards

6)    Department of Health Permits for Restaurants

7)    Fire Department Permits for Sprinkler and Standpipe, Fuel Storage, & Emergency Generators

8)    All of your FDNY Certificate of Fitness Licenses. These included licenses for fire pumps, sprinkler/stand-pipe, generators, fire safety director, residential sprinkler, smoke detectors to name a few.

9)   DEP Annual Permits — “Right To Know Annual Inventory Report” for all hazardous material stored on the premises.  These may include paint/lacquer, paint thinners and turpentine, ammonium based products, benzene, compressed gas  motor oil, gasoline, etc…  Whether you are a large office building with your own maintenance department, or a dry cleaners or a funeral home, if hazardous material are stored, it needs to be reported.

10) DEP for Boilers, RPZ, Backflow Preventers

11) Annual Boilers & Elevators

12) Liquor License

13) Façade Reports

14) Contractors Insurances and Safety Registration

15) Ansul Systems

16) Fire Extinguishers

17) HPD Owners Registration

Checking your Permits and Licenses at the start of the year is a quick way of staying on top of your portfolio.  Now is the time to renew – not after you receive a violation. Please don’t wait, use this time wisely.