2026 Benchmarking Is Due May 1, 2027
LL84 and LL133 require covered buildings to report their annual energy and water use. A missed filing brings fines and can affect the energy grade posted at your entrance.
- What to report
- Calendar-year 2026 energy and water use
- Deadline
- May 1, 2027
- Where to file
- ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, shared with the City
- Late penalty
- $500 per missed quarterly deadline, up to $2,000 per year
Local Law 84, as expanded by Local Law 133, requires covered buildings to measure and report their energy and water use every year. Reports for calendar-year 2026 are due May 1, 2027. The same data sets the energy grade you post at your entrance and feeds your Local Law 97 emissions report, so errors in one filing carry into the others.
Who must file
Benchmarking generally applies to buildings over 25,000 gross square feet, tax lots with two or more buildings that together exceed 100,000 square feet, and City-owned buildings over 10,000 square feet. The City publishes a Covered Buildings List each year. If your building is on it, you must file, even if you believe it should be exempt.
What to report
- Whole-building energy use from January 1 to December 31, 2026: electricity, natural gas, district steam and fuel oil.
- Water use, where the building is flagged for water reporting on the Covered Buildings List.
- Gross floor area and property use details, such as office, multifamily, retail or parking.
Penalties
Missing the May 1 deadline brings a $500 violation. If the report is still missing, further $500 violations follow at the August 1, November 1 and February 1 quarterly deadlines, up to $2,000 per year. Paying the fines does not remove the obligation to file.
Your energy grade
Under Local Laws 33 and 95, your benchmarking score sets a letter grade that must be posted near each public entrance. Failing to post the grade carries a separate $1,250 penalty.
| Grade | ENERGY STAR score |
|---|---|
| A | 85 or higher |
| B | 70 to 84 |
| C | 55 to 69 |
| D | Below 55 |
| F | Benchmarking report not submitted |
| N | Exempt, or not eligible for a score |
Before you file
- Request aggregated whole-building data from Con Edison or National Grid. Allow several weeks.
- Collect usage for tenant-paid meters the aggregated data does not cover.
- Confirm your gross floor area. Errors here change your score and your LL97 limit.
- Check property use types and operating hours for each space.
- Look for gaps, estimated reads and duplicate meters across the year.
- Share the property with the City in Portfolio Manager before May 1. Entering data without sharing does not count as filing.
Penalty amounts and deadlines reflect NYC Department of Buildings rules as of September 2026. Confirm current requirements before filing.
