NYC Building Compliance Laws
NYC regulates buildings through dozens of local laws. These four — LL84, LL87, LL88, and LL97 — are the energy and emissions cluster: overlapping coverage, shared data, separate deadlines and penalties. Here's how they fit together.
The Four Energy Laws at a Glance
| Law | Threshold | Frequency | Penalty floor | Filed via |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LL84 Annual energy and water benchmarking | 25,000 sf | Annual | $500/quarter, up to $2,000/yr | ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager (ESPM) → BEAM |
| LL87 Decennial energy audit and retro-commissioning | 50,000 sf | Every 10 yrs | $3,000 yr 1, $5,000/yr after, no cap | DOB Energy Efficiency Report (EER) submission |
| LL88 Lighting upgrades and tenant electrical submetering | 25,000 sf | One-time | $3,000/yr (both reports) | BEAM portal |
| LL97 Carbon emissions caps and annual emissions reports | 25,000 sf | Annual | $268 per metric ton CO2e over the limit, per year | DOB NOW (filing fee) → ESPM (energy data) → BEAM (final report) |
- Threshold
- 25,000 sf
- Frequency
- Annual
- Penalty floor
- $500/quarter, up to $2,000/yr
- Filed via
- ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager (ESPM) → BEAM
- Threshold
- 50,000 sf
- Frequency
- Every 10 yrs
- Penalty floor
- $3,000 yr 1, $5,000/yr after, no cap
- Filed via
- DOB Energy Efficiency Report (EER) submission
- Threshold
- 25,000 sf
- Frequency
- One-time
- Penalty floor
- $3,000/yr (both reports)
- Filed via
- BEAM portal
- Threshold
- 25,000 sf
- Frequency
- Annual
- Penalty floor
- $268 per metric ton CO2e over the limit, per year
- Filed via
- DOB NOW (filing fee) → ESPM (energy data) → BEAM (final report)
LL87 applies at 50,000 sf; the other three at 25,000 sf. Buildings sharing a tax lot are measured by combined floor area, which can pull in buildings below the individual floor.
Search your building first. The pages below explain each obligation. The compliance checker tells you where your property stands across all four laws — coverage, deadlines, and estimated annual exposure.
How the Laws Connect
One law measures, one diagnoses, one mandates upgrades, and one prices the result.
LL84 feeds everything downstream. The benchmarking submission is the energy record LL97 reports are calculated from, the baseline LL87 audits start against, and the input for the public energy grade. Staying current on it is also a condition of LL97's good-faith penalty mitigation.
LL88 work lowers LL97 exposure. Lighting is a large share of a commercial building's electric load, so the upgrades LL88 requires also cut the emissions LL97 penalizes — one project, two obligations.
LL87 findings feed LL97 planning. An LL97 decarbonization plan needs audit-grade data, which is exactly what an LL87 engagement produces. A building near its LL87 deadline can run both as one program.
Two Waves of Legislation
The four laws come from two packages, and the split explains what each is for.
2009: Greener Greater Buildings Plan (GGBP)
Measure, audit, upgrade: LL84 benchmarking, LL87 audits, LL88 lighting and submetering — with LL85 setting the energy code LL88 references.
2019: Climate Mobilization Act (CMA)
Outcomes instead of prescriptions. LL97 caps emissions and lets buildings choose how to comply, alongside LL95 (grade labels), LL92/94 (solar and green roofs), and LL96 (PACE financing).
Most covered buildings carry obligations from both waves at once.
Each Law in Depth
Deadlines, penalties, coverage, and what filing looks like — one page per law.
Local Law 84 — Annual Benchmarking
Whole-building energy and water use, reported by May 1 every year. Missed filings accrue $500 per quarter, and the public energy grade label carries its own $1,250 violation.
Read the Full LL84 Page →Local Law 87 — Energy Audit & Retro-commissioning
A once-a-decade energy audit and retro-commissioning filing, keyed to your tax block number. Penalties run $3,000 the first year, then $5,000 per year with no cap.
Read the Full LL87 Page →Local Law 88 — Lighting & Submetering
Physical upgrade work — lighting power density, controls, tenant submetering — plus a filed report. The January 2025 deadline has passed; penalties recur yearly until both the work and the filing are done.
Read the Full LL88 Page →Local Law 97 — Carbon Emissions
Annual carbon caps with $268-per-ton penalties for Article 320 buildings; Article 321 buildings follow a prescriptive path instead. The much stricter 2030 caps are what most owners are planning against.
Read the Full LL97 Page →How LuxNet Helps
Our work is the lighting and controls layer — the part of a building where these laws overlap most.
One survey, four uses. A LuxNet field survey documents fixtures, controls, and spaces in a form that supports LL88 filings, LL87 audit inputs, LL97 planning, and the LL84 record behind them.
LL88 handled end to end. Survey, compliance determination, and the filing itself — see LL88 compliance services.
Controls that cut LL97 exposure. Where the building calls for it, we design and commission networked lighting controls — upgrades that reduce the load LL97 prices.
Start with the building check: coverage, deadlines, and estimated exposure across all four laws, free. If there's real exposure, a scoping call is the next step.
FAQ
Which laws apply to my building?
Are these the only local laws NYC buildings have to follow?
When did enforcement start?
Do I need a separate consultant for each law?
Four Laws. One Coordinated Plan.
The four energy laws overlap: one field survey can support LL88 documentation, LL87 audit inputs, LL97 planning, and the LL84 data trail. Check your building first, then decide what work actually needs to happen.
Penalty figures and compliance details reflect DOB's published rules and can change. This page is general information, not legal or financial advice; confirm specifics with DOB, your utility, and your own professionals.
Last updated: July 2026. NYC building compliance rules, deadlines, and DOB procedures may change.