Building owners registry (BOR)
Overview
Rochester City Code section 90-20 requires owners of properties in the City of Rochester to complete a Building Owner Registry (BOR) application for each property they own that has a building. This has historically been collected as part of the Certificate of Occupancy renewal process. The City Code was updated in March 2023 to add additional requirements related to LLC owners. The new LLC owner disclosure requirement goes into effect 1/1/2024.
A revised BOR must be submitted within 10 days of any change in contact information, or whenever a property is sold. Properties that fail to comply can be cited for a code violation and are subject to ticketing and fines.
Information required to provide via the BOR
| Category | When Required | Info Required | Options/Restrictions |
Property Owner Or Authorized agent (most property managers are authorized agenst)
| Always
| Name | A duly authorized agent of the owner may register and certify as the 'owner' on behalf of the true legal owner. For example, a property manager. |
| Mailing Address | |||
| Phone # | |||
| Email Address | |||
| Image of a Government-issued Photo ID | This may be the photo ID of the authorized agent of the owner. | ||
LLC Owner Disclosure*
| All properties owned by LLC’s
| Name and contact info for all 'natural person' owners, members, managers, or other authorized persons of the LLC | This information will not be posted publicly.
|
Property Manager (if required)
| A property owner is not a 'natural person', such as an LLC OR Property owner resides outside zip codes 13020 through 13905 or 14001 through 14925, or address is a P.O. Box | Name | May not be an LLC or company. Must be a 'natural person' |
| Mailing Address | Must be located within Monroe County Must not be a P.O. Box | ||
| Phone # | |||
| Email Address |
Online BOR submission
The City launched a new online property management portal on 8/4/2023. It provides self-service functions to help property owners and managers better manage their portfolios and interaction with the City. One of the key functions is designating and updating building owner and property manager contact information via the digital Building Owner Registry application.
Registering as an individual or company in Civics
In almost all circumstances, the City recommends that users create their account in Civics as an individual 'natural person', ie 'John Smith', even if they are conducting business on behalf of an LLC. This will avoid you needing to maintain two or more Civics accounts, with separate email addresses.
You have permission to register a property in Civics through the Building Owner Registry as the owner on behalf of any individual or company for which you are a legally designated representative. This is typically provided through a management agreement, power of attorney, incorporation paperwork, or other similar legal document. Regardless of who is registered in the Building Owner Registry, the property's legal owner (per the deed) retains legal responsibility for the property and all associated costs. Bills, notices, tickets, fines, and other official communications from the City will continue to be addressed to the name of the property owner per the deed on record with the Monroe County Clerk, and mailed to the tax bill mailing address on file with the Bureau of Assessment.
For properties requiring a property manager's contact to be designated, only a 'natural person' may be designated as a property manager. An LLC or corporation may not be a property manager.
See the Common Account Setup Scenarios in the full user guide for full details.
New requirement as of 1/1/2024: LLC Property Owner Disclosure
In March 2023, the City Council approved an amendment to the City Code, adding additional requirements to City Code-Section 90-20. Any property owned by a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) must disclose all natural person owners, members, managers, or other authorized persons of the LLC as part of the BOR. If the LLC is owned by another LLC, the 'natural person' owners, members, managers, or other authorized persons of the owner LLC must be listed. Continue this process until all LLCs in the ownership chain have disclosed all their associated 'natural persons'.
This requirement went into effect as of 1/1/2024. Properties that fail to comply might be cited for code violations and potential ticketing and fines.
You will be required to complete the LLC Disclosure Form for each property the LLC owns. The form is available below, and should be completed and saved outside of Civics. It may be completed in paper form, but must be scanned and saved as a PDF. The file must be uploaded as a PDF attachment when completing the Building Owner Registry application.
You may also add it to a Building Owner Registry application you have previously submitted. To find an existing BOR, go to the Civics homepage and scroll to the bottom to the 'My Records' section. If you have several records, you can use the filter function to search and find the correct record. LLC Disclosure Form.
For technical support, please email CivicsTechSupport@CityofRochester.gov and attach a screenshot of the error or issue you are experiencing. The city cannot provide customer support over the phone. Please provide up to 3 business days to receive a response.
Information available to the public online
Below is a list of the types of information that will be publicly viewable or downloadable on the City's BuildingBlocks platform. Open Data Portal, Property Information lookup tools, and other public applications.
This information is subject to the Freedom of Information Act and the City may be required to disclose it upon request.
| Property Role | Information | Provided Via | Publicly Viewable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Property Owner | Name | Monroe County Clerk + Bureau of Assessment | Yes |
| Legal Property Owner | Mailing Address | Bureau of Assessment | Yes |
| Legal Property Owner | LLC Owner Disclosure | Building Owner Registry: File Upload | No |
| Building Owner Registry Primary Applicant | Name | Civics Profile + Building Owner Registry | Not unless also the Property Manager |
| Building Owner Registry Primary Applicant | Phone Number | Civics Profile + Building Owner Registry | Not unless also the Property Manager |
| Building Owner Registry Primary Applicant | Mailing Address | Civics Profile + Building Owner Registry | Not unless also the Property Manager |
| Building Owner Registry Primary Applicant | Email Address | Civics Profile + Building Owner Registry | Not unless also the Property Manager |
| Building Owner Registry Primary Applicant | Photo ID | Building Owner Registry: File Upload | No |
| Property Manager | Name | Civics Profile + Building Owner Registry | Yes |
| Property Manager | Phone Number | Civics Profile + Building Owner Registry | Yes |
| Property Manager | Mailing Address | Civics Profile + Building Owner Registry | Yes |
| Property Manager | Email Address | Civics Profile + Building Owner Registry | Yes |
| Property Manager | Photo ID | Building Owner Registry: File Upload | No |
| Vacant Building Registry Primary Applicant | Name | Civics Profile + Building Owner Registry | Not unless also the Property Manager |
| Vacant Building Registry Primary Applicant | Phone Number | Civics Profile + Building Owner Registry | Not unless also the Property Manager |
| Vacant Building Registry Primary Applicant | Mailing Address | Civics Profile + Building Owner Registry | Not unless also the Property Manager |
| Vacant Building Registry Primary Applicant | Email Address | Civics Profile + Building Owner Registry | No |
| Vacant Building Registry Primary Applicant | Photo ID | Building Owner Registry: File Upload | No |