Do I need an API key?

No. NYC Open Data serves all public datasets anonymously over its SODA API (data.cityofnewyork.us). This MCP defines no credentials and needs nothing configured.

BIN (Building Identification Number) is the city's 10-digit id for one physical building, shared across the DOB and housing datasets. PLUTO keys buildings by borough+block+lot instead.

Borough values differ across datasets — how do I know the format?

Formats are dataset-specific: 311 and shootings use UPPERCASE ("QUEENS"), food and sanitation use Title Case ("Queens"), DOT potholes use single-letter codes. Tool descriptions state the expected values, and the errors from a mismatched value are reported verbatim by the platform.

NYC Buildings & DOB Permits MCP Connector for Claude

A+

Keyless NYC building intelligence: DOB permit filings, DOB NOW permits, building violations, DOB complaints, housing code violations, PLUTO parcel records and vacant storefronts — no API key.

8 tools Official Updated Oct 1, 2026 Official Vinkius Partner

More Details Connect to Claude

The city's building-permit and property-record stack on NYC Open Data, in one keyless MCP.

What you can do

Search DOB permits — filings (New Building, Alteration 1/2/3, Change of Occupancy) with job number, BIN, street, work type, status and filing date
Search DOB NOW permits — the online-permit pipeline (wiring, plumbing, minor work)
Search building violations — open/closed code violations by BIN, type or issue window
Search DOB complaints — public reports of building conditions, by category or status
Search housing code violations — HCB inspections (heat/hot water, lead, fire safety) by building, class and status
Search PLUTO — the city land-use file: zoning, building class, owner and assessed value per parcel
Search vacant storefronts — the annual city survey of vacant commercial ground floors
Count permit activity — total filings matching borough / work type / date filters

Who is this for

Real-estate research, construction-market tracking, code-enforcement monitoring and property due diligence.

new-yorknycbuildingsdobpermitsplutohousing

8 tools expose this connector's capabilities to your AI agent.

count_permit_activity

Use it to size construction activity before pulling individual filings with search_dob_permits. Count DOB permit filings with filters

search_dob_complaints

Filter by complaint_number, bin, house_street or complaint_category; status shows whether the complaint is open or closed. Search DOB complaints (public reports about buildings)

search_dob_permits

A filing's full identifier is job__ plus job_doc___ (e.g. 12345678901 + 1A01); bin__ is the unique building number. work_type is Building, Interior, Site or Other; job_type includes New Building, Alteration 1/2/3, and Change of Occupancy. Borough values look like "Manhattan" or "Bronx". Dates are ISO "YYYY-MM-DD". Search NYC DOB building permit filings (Alteration, New Building, ...). Column names like bin__ / job__ carry literal trailing underscores

search_dob_violations

Filter by bin (building), violation_number, issue date range or violation_type (e.g. "Violation of Law", "Administrative"). Rows include the description and disposition date when closed. Search DOB building violations (code enforcement)

search_dobnow_permits

job_filing_number is the unique identifier; bin is the 10-digit building number. Dates are ISO "YYYY-MM-DD". Search DOB NOW approved work permits (online-permit platform)

search_housing_violations

class is A, B or C (severity; B = life safety, C = conditions, A = other); violationstatus is Open or Closed. buildingid is the HCB building identifier — a different key from DOB's bin. Search housing code violations (HCB inspections)

search_pluto

bldgclass codes look like "A" (walkups), "R15" (one-family), "S31" (stores); ownername is the legal owner. Filter by borough + block + lot (the BBL) or by exact street address. Search PLUTO parcel/property records (the city's land use file)

search_vacant_storefronts

reporting_year is the survey year (values like "2024"); vacant_6_30_or_date_sold says whether the spot was still vacant or sold. Useful for vacancy analysis by borough or street. Search vacant commercial storefronts (annual city survey)

Connect to Claude

Subscribe on Vinkius, then add this connector to Claude.ai or Claude Code.

① Claude.ai (web app)

Go to Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector
Paste the MCP endpoint URL below

https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_eGeKbgdPQ4n203kA0moL1GprpEk6MX5HfH3UpB9K/mcp

② Claude Code (terminal)

claude mcp add --transport http nyc-buildings-dob-permits https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_eGeKbgdPQ4n203kA0moL1GprpEk6MX5HfH3UpB9K/mcp

③ Claude Desktop

Add to claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nyc-buildings-dob-permits": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_eGeKbgdPQ4n203kA0moL1GprpEk6MX5HfH3UpB9K/mcp"
    }
  }
}

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