NYC Intercom Law
Last updated October 2026 by the Douglas Security System team, licensed and insured NYC intercom specialists with over 35 years of experience.
If you own, manage, or sit on the board of an apartment building in New York City, the intercom isn’t optional in most cases. State law sets rules for entrance doors and intercoms in multiple dwellings. Also, the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) enforces them.
This guide explains those rules in plain English. It is based on New York’s Multiple Dwelling Law section 50-a and HPD’s published guidance. Douglas Security System (DSS) has repaired and installed intercoms in NYC buildings for over 35 years, so these are the questions owners and tenants ask us most.
This page is general information, not legal advice. However, for questions about your specific building, check the law itself or talk to a lawyer or HPD.
The main rule is New York Multiple Dwelling Law section 50-a, titled “Entrances: doors, locks and intercommunication systems.” In plain terms, it has four parts:
Suppose your building was built or converted to residential use after January 1, 1968, and has eight or more apartments. In that case, the intercom and the self-closing, self-locking entrance doors are required. There’s no tenant vote involved. The system must also work for every apartment, and it must be kept in working order.
Buildings in this group with fewer than eight apartments still need the self-closing, self-locking entrance doors. However, the intercom requirement under section 50-a applies only to buildings with eight or more apartments.
Many NYC apartment buildings are older than 1968. For these buildings, however, section 50-a works differently. The owner must install self-closing, self-locking entrance doors and an intercom. This applies when tenants occupying a majority of all the apartments in the building request it or consent in writing.
Once that happens, the law sets timelines. Installation must begin within 90 days of the tenants’ written consent. It must be completed within six months (one year for buildings owned by a municipal housing authority). For rent-controlled apartments, the local rent agency sets the terms for recovering the cost. If your pre-1968 building already has an intercom, it still needs upkeep so it works properly.
Under section 50-a, the intercom has two jobs: two-way voice communication between each apartment and a person at the entrance door, and a way for the apartment occupant to release the door lock. In practice, that means:
An intercom that works in some apartments but not in others doesn’t meet the requirement for the apartments where it’s broken. A door that doesn’t close and lock on its own is also a problem, even if the intercom works. Audio-only systems meet the voice requirement. Video systems do too, and add a camera for security.
The intercom only works if the door does its part. For buildings covered by section 50-a, entrance doors must be self-closing and self-locking. They must also stay locked unless an attendant is on duty. We often see door closers that no longer pull the door shut. We also see electric strikes that don’t release or don’t relock, and doors that have shifted in their frames. We repair and replace door strikes and entry hardware along with intercoms, so the whole entrance works together.
Most of these are straightforward repairs. We test the whole system, from the entrance to each apartment, so the fix holds.
HPD enforces the Housing Maintenance Code and related laws through inspections. Tenant complaints to 311 also often trigger them. If an inspector finds a condition that violates the law, HPD issues a violation. Its class then sets the deadline to fix it:
Broken intercoms and entrance door locks are typically treated as hazardous conditions. Owners must correct violations and also certify the correction with HPD. HPD’s own guidance to owners is direct. To keep buildings secure, the owner, manager, or superintendent should immediately repair broken locks or intercoms. See HPD’s page on how to clear violations.
If your intercom is broken now, see our intercom repair NYC page. For typical prices, see our intercom system cost guide.
Start by reporting the problem to the super, managing agent, or owner in writing, and note the date. Most intercom problems get fixed once the owner knows about them. However, if the problem isn’t fixed in a reasonable time, tenants can file a complaint through NYC 311. That can lead to an HPD inspection. In pre-1968 buildings without an intercom, tenants occupying a majority of the apartments can request one in writing under section 50-a.
We repair and install intercoms and entrance door hardware in apartment buildings across Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, and Long Island. We can also test your system, fix what’s broken, and document the repair for your records. But when an upgrade makes more sense, we’ll show you options. These include converting an audio intercom to video and systems with no monthly fee. Call (212) 262-2820 or visit us at 1541 E 46th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11234.
For class A multiple dwellings built or converted after January 1, 1968, the rule is clear. Under Section 50-a of the Multiple Dwelling Law, every entrance from the street, a passageway, a court, a yard, or the cellar must have automatic self-closing and self-locking doors. Those doors stay locked at all times unless an attendant is on duty. However, an entrance that leads into a main entrance hall or lobby with automatic self-locking doors is an exception.
Roof doors follow a different rule. An entrance from the roof must have a self-closing door that is not self-locking. Instead, it is fastened on the inside with bolts, hooks, or a lock that opens without a key from inside the building. The intercom itself must be at the automatic self-locking door that gives public access to the main entrance hall or lobby.
If any answer is no, fix the door or the intercom before it turns into a complaint or a violation.
Section 50-a describes a device or devices for voice communication between the occupant of each apartment and a person at the entrance. It also requires a way for the occupant to release the door lock from the apartment. It doesn’t mention phone apps. Many buildings now use app-based systems, and many keep apartment stations as well. Are you thinking about removing apartment stations and relying only on phones? If so, talk to your attorney or check with HPD first. Also plan for tenants who don’t have smartphones. A video entrance panel that still rings in each apartment avoids the question entirely.
Compliance isn’t a one-time job. Doors get slammed, closers wear out, and wiring degrades. A simple routine helps:
Yes, for class A multiple dwellings built or converted after January 1, 1968, with eight or more apartments. Buildings built before 1968 must install one when tenants occupying a majority of the apartments request or consent in writing. The date of construction or conversion is the dividing line. In a newer building the duty is the owner’s from the start, while in an older one the tenants’ written request triggers it.
New York Multiple Dwelling Law section 50-a, titled “Entrances: doors, locks and intercommunication systems.” HPD enforces housing conditions in NYC buildings. The section covers more than intercoms, since it also sets rules for entrance doors, locks, and roof doors. Tenants who find a broken intercom can report it through NYC 311, and HPD can then inspect and issue a violation that the owner must correct within a set period.
It must allow voice communication between each apartment and a person at the main entrance door, and it must let the apartment occupant release the door lock from the apartment. Voice is the legal minimum, so video is an upgrade rather than a requirement. A buzzer alone falls short, because the occupant has to be able to talk to the visitor first. Both functions must work from every apartment.
Entrances to class A multiple dwellings built or converted after January 1, 1968, must have automatic self-closing and self-locking doors, kept locked except when an attendant is on duty. Older buildings must add them when a majority of tenants request or consent in writing. A door that does not latch by itself defeats the intercom. Roof doors differ: they must be self-closing but not self-locking.
The intercom requirement in section 50-a applies to buildings with eight or more apartments. Smaller buildings covered by the law still need self-closing, self-locking entrance doors. So a six-unit building may have no legal duty to install an intercom, but the door rules still apply. Many owners of small buildings install one anyway, to screen visitors and to stop tenants from propping the door open.
Yes. In buildings erected before January 1, 1968, the owner must install one when tenants occupying a majority of the apartments request or consent in writing. Work must begin within 90 days and be completed within six months. Put the request in writing and keep copies, since the majority is counted by apartments occupied. Housing authority buildings get one year to finish instead of six months.
It depends on the class: 90 days for Class A, 30 days for Class B, and generally 24 hours for Class C, with different timelines for certain conditions. The classes reflect severity. Class A violations are non-hazardous, Class B are hazardous, and Class C are immediately hazardous. Tenants can report problems through NYC 311, which is how many inspections and violations begin.
Yes. A video intercom provides two-way voice communication and door release from each apartment, and it adds a camera for security. Section 50-a asks for voice communication and a release from each apartment, and a video unit does both. The screen is an extra, not a substitute for those functions. What matters for compliance is that every apartment can talk to the entrance and open the door, and that the entrance door is self-closing and self-locking.
Report it to the super, managing agent, or owner in writing. If it isn’t fixed in a reasonable time, tenants can file a complaint with NYC 311. A written notice, such as an email or a letter, gives you a dated record, so keep a copy. HPD correction periods run 90 days for Class A violations, 30 days for Class B, and generally 24 hours for Class C.
No. This page is general information based on the Multiple Dwelling Law and HPD guidance. For questions about a specific building, check the law or consult a lawyer or HPD. Whether a rule applies can turn on the building’s class, the year it was built or converted, and the number of apartments. Those details are in your building records, and a lawyer or HPD can read them against the statute for you.
No. Under Section 50-a, a roof entrance must have a self-closing door that is not self-locking, fastened on the inside with bolts, hooks, or a lock that doesn’t need a key to open from inside. The point is safety, since nobody on the roof should ever be trapped there. Entrance doors are the opposite case, because those must be both self-closing and self-locking.
The law describes a device for voice communication and door release from each apartment and doesn’t mention apps. Before removing apartment stations, talk to your attorney or check with HPD, and plan for tenants without smartphones. An app works best as an addition to wall stations, since it depends on phone batteries, signal, and data. Older residents may not carry a smartphone at all, and a wall station still answers for them.