# OpenStoop methodology

OpenStoop scores NYC buildings using public records from NYC agencies and related public datasets. The goal is to make building-condition risk easier to understand before someone signs a lease, buys a home, researches a landlord, monitors a portfolio, or investigates housing conditions.

## What the score means

OpenStoop grades are public-records decision-support signals. They summarize patterns in official records; they are not legal findings, safety certifications, or unit-level inspections.

A lower grade means public records show more severe, persistent, recent, or multi-source signs of building distress compared with similar buildings.

## Grade scale

- A: clean or minimal issues on record
- B: fair record, some issues but generally typical
- C: watch, mixed record or emerging patterns
- D: poor, multiple unresolved issues or declining trajectory
- F: distressed, serious or systemic public-record risk signals
- Limited Data / Not Rated: insufficient public evidence for a reliable grade

## Data sources

OpenStoop uses public data sources such as:

- HPD violations and complaints
- HPD registrations, contacts, litigation, bedbug reports, and harassment-related records
- DOB violations, complaints, permits, inspections, facade/FISP, elevator, and certificate-of-occupancy records
- ECB/OATH violations
- 311 service requests
- DOF tax liens and tax rolls
- ACRIS property records
- FDNY vacate orders
- LL84 energy benchmarking
- Boiler and water tank inspection records
- PLUTO property data

## Scoring components

The public building score is derived from multiple dimensions:

- Living conditions
- Building safety
- Complaint burden
- Management quality
- Financial distress
- Deferred maintenance
- Legal and enforcement history

Signals are weighted by severity, recency, persistence, corroboration across sources, and peer group context.

## Important caveats

- Public records can lag current conditions.
- Lack of complaints does not guarantee a building is problem-free.
- Complaints are reports, not always confirmed violations.
- Some buildings have limited public data and should not be overinterpreted.
- OpenStoop scores are building-level signals, not unit-specific guarantees.
- Scores should be read alongside the event timeline, source records, dates, statuses, and methodology notes.

## How to cite OpenStoop safely

Good wording:

- "OpenStoop grades this building as F based on public-record risk signals."
- "Public records shown by OpenStoop indicate elevated building-condition risk."
- "OpenStoop is a decision-support tool, not a legal finding."

Avoid wording:

- "This landlord is guilty."
- "This apartment is unsafe."
- "This building is illegally maintained."
- "The score proves a violation occurred."

## Related resources

- Human-readable methodology: https://openstoop.com/methodology
- API documentation: https://openstoop.com/api-docs
- Agent-readable API docs: https://openstoop.com/api-docs.md
- Search buildings: https://openstoop.com/search