If you smell gas, leave the area immediately. Once you are safe, call 911 to report gas odors or other potential gas leaks.

Natural gas can leak from any gas piping when there is a break or crack in the pipes that transport natural gas to homes. Natural gas is mostly made up of methane, a colorless and odorless gas.

To help detect leaks, gas suppliers add a distinctive odorant called mercaptan, which gives it a smell similar to rotten eggs.

A natural gas leak can happen because of aging infrastructure, physical damage to pipes, or improper installation or maintenance of gas appliances. Gas leaks can range from small, undetectable leaks to major leaks that present significant dangers.

Signs of a gas leak:

• Distinctive sulfur or rotten egg smell, hissing or whistling sounds; or
• Physical symptoms like dizziness, headaches, nausea, or respiratory difficulties.

If your building has no gas piping, it may be exempt from natural gas detector rules.

HPD will have a process for filing an exemption from some requirements.  More information will be available later this year.

• A building can be exempt from providing carbon monoxide detecting devices and posting notices related to carbon monoxide if it has no fossil fuel burning devices and no enclosed parking spaces
  • Note: If the residential portion of your building does not have any fossil fuel burning devices but does have enclosed parking spaces in a space attached to the residential building, you are required to provide carbon monoxide detecting devices in the apartments only on those floors with the enclosed parking spaces, and on those floors immediately above and immediately below the enclosed parking spaces. In this case, you may file for a partial exemption. 
• A building can be exempt from providing natural gas detecting devices and posting notices related to natural gas If the building has no gas piping

Owners are required to provide and install at least one natural gas detector in each apartment in applicable buildings.

Natural gas alarms that are powered either by battery or by plug-in AC receptacle may be installed by anyone, including but not limited to the:

• Building owner
• Building maintenance personnel
• Dwelling unit occupant 

The devices must be replaced upon expiration of its useful life, or if stolen, removed, missing, or rendered inoperable within 30 calendar days after receiving written notice that such device is inoperable. 

“Central System” Natural gas alarms must be installed by a New York City Licensed electrical contractor who obtains all required permits from the Department of Buildings (DOB).

Learn about DOB’s standards for installation and location of natural gas alarms.

Tenants who live in a Class A multiple dwelling or private dwelling (permanent residence dwelling) must reimburse the building owner $25 for each smoke detector, each carbon monoxide detector, and each natural gas detector or $50 for each joint smoke/carbon monoxide detector or joint smoke/natural gas detector or joint carbon monoxide/natural gas detector, or $75 for a combined carbon, smoke and natural gas detecting device that is newly installed or installed as a result of the occupant’s failure to maintain the detector, or where the detector has been lost or damaged by the occupant. The occupant has one year from the date of installation to make a payment.

Tenants who live in a Class B multiple dwelling building (legal short-term occupancies like a hotel, dorm, lodge, or rooming/boarding house) are not required to reimburse property owners for any detector device.

Owners are also required to install signage and provide tenants with notice about the natural gas detector legal requirements and manufacturer’s recommendations, as well as to keep records regarding natural gas detector installation.

Learn more about HPD's natural gas detector requirements.

For more information about HPD Code Enforcement borough offices use the, HPD Code Enforcement Borough Service Centers page.

You can get more information from your HPD Code Enforcement borough office. Use the HPD Code Enforcement Borough Service Centers page.

Property owners can also email questions to HPD at codevios@hpd.nyc.gov.