Question 1

What is an RPIE statement?

Accepted Answer

The Real Property Income and Expense (RPIE) statement is an annual filing required by the NYC Department of Finance under Administrative Code §11-208.1 for most income-producing properties. It reports calendar-year income, operating expenses, vacancy, units, and rentable square footage used in DOF's CAMA valuation process.

Question 2

Why does NYC require property owners to file?

Accepted Answer

DOF uses RPIE data in its Computer-Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA) system to determine market value for property tax. When owners do not file, assessors impute value from comparable properties — often producing assessments higher than actual income would support.

Question 3

What information is included in the RPIE?

Accepted Answer

Gross income, operating expenses (maintenance, utilities, insurance, management, taxes), vacancy rate, unit counts, occupancy, rentable square footage, and — for properties at or above the rent-roll threshold — supplemental lease-level detail in DOF's mandated column format.

Question 4

How is RPIE different from my property tax bill?

Accepted Answer

The RPIE is an annual data filing that feeds assessment; it is not payment of property tax. Your tax bill reflects assessed value and applicable rates after DOF processes RPIE and roll data.

Question 5

What is the current RPIE filing deadline?

Accepted Answer

RPIE-2025 (covering January 1 – December 31, 2025) is due June 1, 2026. DOF typically opens SmartFile in early March each cycle. Verify the current deadline at nyc.gov/rpie before filing.

Question 6

Do I need to file an RPIE for my rental property?

Accepted Answer

Multi-family rental properties in Tax Class 2 (and most income-producing Class 3 and 4 assets) must file when actual assessed value on the tentative roll exceeds $40,000. Confirm your BBL on the DOF required-filer list or with a compliance specialist.

Question 7

My property had no income last year — do I still need to file?

Accepted Answer

Zero income does not automatically exempt you. You must either file an RPIE showing zero income or submit a Claim of Exclusion by the June 1 deadline. Failing to file affirmatively can still produce penalties even when no RPIE income statement was required.

Question 8

I just purchased my property and don't have full-year data.

Accepted Answer

Recent purchasers may qualify for innocent-purchaser-style relief under limited statutory windows — often within 120 days of an applicable event. Timelines are strict; contact counsel or a filing specialist immediately if you acquired after the deadline.

Question 9

What is a Claim of Exclusion?

Accepted Answer

A Claim of Exclusion is an affirmative filing asserting that your property qualifies for exemption from full RPIE reporting — for example, assessed value at or below $40,000, ≤10 residential units, vacancy, or other DOF-recognized grounds. It must be filed by the deadline to avoid exclusion penalties ($100 / $500 / $1,000 by consecutive year).

Question 10

Who can file an RPIE — must it be the owner?

Accepted Answer

The owner may file via DOF SmartFile using NYC.ID. Owners routinely authorize CPAs, attorneys, or compliance firms as representatives; authorized filers must follow DOF SmartFile access rules for the BBL.

Question 11

What happens if I miss the RPIE deadline?

Accepted Answer

DOF may issue a Non-Compliance Notice opening a cure period (typically about 30 days). File during cure to often avoid monetary penalties. After cure closes, penalties scale by assessed-value tiers up to $100,000. Three consecutive years of non-filing can trigger a penalty equal to 5% of final actual assessed value, and you may lose Tax Commission hearing rights the following year.

Question 12

What is the cure period?

Accepted Answer

The cure period begins after DOF mails a Non-Compliance Notice (often in July). Filing a complete RPIE during cure typically avoids monetary fines, though late filing may still be recorded on your compliance history.

Question 13

How are RPIE penalties calculated?

Accepted Answer

Penalties are flat amounts keyed to FY final assessed value tiers — for example, approximately $300 for AV $40,001–$99,999 up to $100,000 for AV $25,000,000+. See our deadlines page for the full illustrative schedule and confirm current tiers at nyc.gov/finance.

Question 14

Can I appeal an RPIE penalty?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Owners may petition during applicable cure periods, proceed through administrative hearings before an ALJ at the Office of Administrative Tax Appeals (OATA), receive a Finance Commissioner final determination, and — where appropriate — commence Article 78 proceedings within months of that determination.

Question 15

What is an "innocent purchaser" waiver?

Accepted Answer

Certain buyers who acquire property between the filing deadline and publication of the required-filer list may request a penalty waiver within a statutory window (often 120 days from the applicable event). Eligibility depends on purchase timing, prior owner filings, and DOF rules — facts matter.

Question 16

Can I file the RPIE myself?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Owners file electronically through DOF SmartFile at nyc.gov/rpie using NYC.ID. Complex properties with rent-roll addenda, consolidated filings, or prior non-compliance often use specialist help to avoid validation errors that trigger penalties or inflated assessments.

Question 17

What is the DOF SmartFile system?

Accepted Answer

SmartFile is DOF's mandatory electronic RPIE portal. It requires an active NYC.ID account, validates BBL against the tentative assessment roll, supports save-and-resume, and cross-checks rent-roll column formats. Paper filing is generally unavailable except for approved senior/disability waivers filed by May 1.

Question 18

Can I file one RPIE for multiple properties?

Accepted Answer

DOF allows consolidated RPIE filings when properties meet contiguous-lot and common-ownership rules. Portfolio owners use consolidation to reduce duplicate data entry; eligibility is BBL-specific.

Question 19

What is the Rent Roll Addendum and who needs it?

Accepted Answer

Properties with actual assessed value at or above $750,000 must file a rent roll addendum with lease-level detail in DOF's mandated commercial (29-column) or residential format. SmartFile rejects non-conforming uploads.

Question 20

What is the Storefront Registry?

Accepted Answer

The Storefront Registry is an annual DOF registration for ground-floor or second-floor commercial premises visible from the street under Local Law 157. Class 2 and 4 owners must register even when RPIE-exempt. Local Law 95 added supplemental filings by August 15 (June 30 vacancies) and February 15 (December 31 vacancies).

Question 21

Do I need Storefront Registry if I'm exempt from RPIE?

Accepted Answer

Often yes. Tax Class 2 and 4 owners with qualifying storefronts must register annually regardless of RPIE exemption. Treat storefront registration as a separate obligation from RPIE.

Question 22

What are the Storefront Registry supplemental deadlines?

Accepted Answer

Under Local Law 95, Class 2 and 4 owners file supplemental statements by August 15 for storefronts vacant as of June 30, and by February 15 for storefronts vacant as of December 31. Class 1 properties are exempt from supplemental reporting.

Question 23

What data must I disclose for a leased storefront?

Accepted Answer

When a unit was leased within three years before January 1 of the reporting year, owners disclose lease expiration, monthly rent per square foot, tenant business type, and construction or alteration details — sensitive commercial data filed to DOF's public dataset.

Question 24

How much does your service cost?

Accepted Answer

Pricing depends on property type, assessed value, unit count, and services engaged (standard RPIE, rent roll, storefront, penalty representation). Initial consultations are free; we quote after confirming your BBL requirements.

Question 25

How do I get started?

Accepted Answer

Submit your address or BBL through our contact form at rltyservice.com/rpie/contact. We confirm filing requirements and next steps within one business day.

Question 26

What information do you need to begin?

Accepted Answer

Start with address or BBL. We then request income and expense summaries, rent rolls, lease abstracts, or property-management exports (Yardi, AppFolio, MRI, etc.) as needed for your filing tier.

Question 27

Do you handle properties in all five boroughs?

Accepted Answer

Yes — Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island. We serve residential, mixed-use, commercial, and utility (REUC-RPIE) properties where engaged.

Question 28

Can you help if I already missed a deadline?

Accepted Answer

Often yes. Cure periods and hearing rights are time-sensitive. Contact us immediately if you received a Non-Compliance Notice or missed June 1 — delay reduces options.

Question 29

Is RLTY Service a residential real estate brokerage?

Accepted Answer

No. RLTY Service is a New York City RPIE filing and municipal tax compliance practice. We are not affiliated with similarly named residential brokerages in other states that may appear in search results for 'RLTY' or 'realty service.'

Everything property owners ask us.

RPIE basics

Who must file

Deadlines & penalties

Filing process

Storefront Registry

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