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DEP NYC Boiler Registration: What Are the Requirements for Property Owners?

Property owners in New York City are required to register their boilers with the city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). This is a separate process from boiler inspection. If you own or manage a property and need more information about DEP NYC boiler registration, this post will help explain the process.

Why Does New York City Require Boiler Registration?

Cleaner air for all

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection has been making a concerted effort in recent years to lower the city’s carbon footprint. This initiative helps with global environmental issues that contribute to climate change and makes the air in the city cleaner for residents. Better air quality means fewer respiratory health problems and reduces the need for cleaning indoors and out.

You may have noticed that older buildings in New York City develop a black coating on their facades that must be scrubbed off periodically. You may have even noticed this black dirt inside if you leave your windows open. The black dirt is largely composed of soot from oil-burning boilers around the city. A very small percentage of boilers still use low-grade #4 and #6 heating oil versus natural gas, but these boilers contribute to nearly all of the city’s soot pollution.

Soot pollution costs property owners in cleaning fees, and of course, if there is soot accumulating on surfaces in your property, you and your tenants are also breathing it in. The city’s boiler registration program was implemented as part of an effort to eventually reduce soot emissions by phasing out oil-burning boilers and to monitor contributors through the Clean Air Tracking System (CATS) at the DEP. Fees from the program help pay for air analysis and allow the city to make sure all boilers are identified and compliant with operational standards.

What Does Boiler Registration Entail?

Easy online process

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection has streamlined the boiler registration process. Everything can now be done online, which reduces trips to the DEP office (a hassle even before Covid) and eliminates the risk of paperwork being lost in the mail. There’s no physical documentation to turn in, which saves on wasted paper. And if you own multiple properties, you can manage all your boiler registrations under one account.

Boilers of a certain size must be registered with the city, and there are separate registration forms for different size ranges:

• Boilers with outputs of 350,000 BTUs per hour to less than 2.8 million BTUs per hour
• Boilers with outputs of 2.8 million BTUs per hour to 4.2 million BTUs per hour

Boilers over 4.2 million BTUs per hour require special work permits and certificates of operation outside of the regular registration program.

Any new boiler of the sizes listed above with the city. Once that occurs, your property will be put into a cycle of registration with the DEP every three years. You should receive notification from the city when your boiler registration is nearly due, giving you time to complete the process.

What Else Should You Know About Boiler Inspection and Registration?

Common questions from our clients

We tend to hear the same questions from our clients at Calray Boilers, so here are some answers about boiler registration and inspection that you may also have.

We just did our boiler inspection–doesn’t that count?

Boiler inspection and registration are two separate processes. Boiler inspection involves having certain qualified professionals check your boiler at predetermined intervals or when it is first installed. Boiler registration only asks that you go online every three years to renew your registration or to perform an initial registration when you first install your boiler.

What if we need to submit documents with our registration form?

The CATS site allows you to upload documents easily with your registration form. They must be in PDF form, and the file name must be less than 40 characters including spaces.

What if our registration is for a government-owned property?

Under the “Fee Information” part of the registration form, you will be asked if you are registering a boiler for a government property. Click “yes,” and upload any necessary documents as proof of government status. Your fees for registration will then be waived.

What happens if we don’t submit our property’s boiler registration on time?

Failure to submit your property’s boiler registration by the due date can result in citations and large fines. Make sure you register any new boiler immediately with the city and take care of your registration renewal right away when you receive notification that it’s due.

We want to switch from an oil-burning boiler to one fueled by natural gas. How do we do that?

This is a smart decision, as you will save money in the long run and help reduce soot emitted into the air in New York City. Calray Boilers can help you switch over your boiler by assisting with planning the change, selecting a new boiler model, and installing the new boiler in your property.

Contact Calray Boilers to Make Sure Your Boiler Is NYC DEP Compliant

Boiler experts for nearly 100 years

If you need help with your property’s boiler registration, inspection, or installation of a new boiler, Calray Boilers are the professionals to call. We’ve been New York City’s hyper-local blue-chip boiler experts for almost a century, and we service properties of all sizes, including large residential and commercial ones. Call us at 212-722-5506, or reach out online today to schedule an appointment for a service call.