"Zombie homes" are neglected or deteriorated vacant and abandoned small homes whose owners may be behind on their mortgage payments. Zombie homes can be found in many neighborhoods throughout the city. Many are the result of the Great Recession and the 2008-2009 foreclosure crisis.

The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD)'s Zombie Homes Initiative works to address some of the problems often associated with zombie homes, including public health and safety risks, destabilized property values, and homeowner instability. Through this initiative, HPD performs exterior surveys of zombie homes, ensures the ongoing maintenance of zombie homes, and finds strategies to return them to productive use.

HPD also helps enforce the Abandoned Property Neighborhood Relief Act of 2016 (the "Zombie Law"), the New York State legislation requiring lenders and mortgage servicers to inspect, secure, maintain, and report the zombie homes in their portfolios. HPD collects evidence of zombie homes that are not being maintained and shares it with the New York City Law Department, which pursues legal action against the banks and mortgage servicers as appropriate.

Learn more about the Zombie Homes Initiative.

You can report a zombie home to HPD by phone.

Call 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675) for help.