Numerous warnings permeate the property records of a Bronx building where seven floors collapsed on Monday, ripping open the facade — and by some miracle, not seriously injuring a single person.

Experts across the board say that was an astonishing outcome at the Billingsley Terrace apartments, and not one likely to be repeated in the city full of aging housing stock and far too few building inspectors.

Absent professional oversight, that leaves New Yorkers to be vigilant about their own living and working spaces. But what rises to the level of making a report, and what’s just a symptom of an old building settling on its bones? THE CITY spoke with inspection experts to untangle the question.

Here’s how to spot a problem, and where to ring the alarm if you do:

How do I report a potentially dangerous condition in my building?

If you suspect unsafe conditions in your building or in a building in your neighborhood, you should call 311 and file an official report. (In a true emergency situation, like an ongoing collapse, you should call 911.)

When calling 311, it’s important to give the operator as much information and details as possible about what you see, experts say, because those who answer are trained to determine the appropriate response to each call.

“DOB considers 311 complaints about the structural stability of buildings as a top priority, and responds within 24 hours,” Department of Buildings spokesperson Andrew Rudansky wrote in an email.

Rick Chandler, a DOB commissioner from 2014 to 2019, says that calls that include words like “potential collapse,” “cracking” or “leaning” are given a priority code, triggering an urgent response. 

Unfortunately, Chandler says, the system has “become an abused thing by people who hate their neighbors.” 

Those with vendettas against a construction site next door, someone doing renovations they don’t like, or any number of disputes  have often lied to 311 operators in order to weaponize the 24-hour response trigger and get violation-writing officials to their neighbor’s property right away.

Chandler called fake complaints “an incredible waste of public resources,” and encourages people to accurately describe the problem in front of them — not exaggerate.

I checked the building’s property records and someone already reported the problem I spotted. Should I still report it?

Chandler says yes. In fact, when you call 311, be sure to note that you already saw an earlier complaint in the Department of Buildings records or elsewhere. It may strengthen your case, and may make identifying the problem easier on inspectors.

“That way, they will try to have the inspector try to address them simultaneously,” he said.

I reported a problem, but nothing has happened. What do I do now?

Be a squeaky wheel.

If DOB inspectors determine that there weren’t any issues that warranted writing up a violation — and you disagree — you can reach out to the agency’s community affairs office for your borough.

Chandler’s advice is to contact your local community board or your City Council member’s office, which will often “act as ombudsman for people to agencies” and can escalate issues that need attention to people who can do something about them.

“I’m not implying that agencies are not doing their job, but sometimes things get missed in the volume, and priorities sometimes get misplaced,” he said.

Another option, if you can afford it, is to hire a structural engineer to make their own independent inspection of your building, says Jaime Silva, a structural engineer and owner of Sabio Engineering Services. Those findings can help bolster your case, especially if you choose to take your landlord to court.

What are the worst red flags to watch out for in my building?

According to experts, these are some immediately dangerous conditions that need urgent attention:

  • Leaning walls, retaining walls or parapets, i.e the short exterior walls that extend above a roofline.
  • Any architectural feature, like a cornice or windowsill, that appears unsupported, unsecured or is separating from a building.
  • Bricks that appear fully displaced and about to fall off.
  • Signs of water damage, from leaky ceilings to paint bubbles and soft or mushy drywall
  • Anything that has already partially collapsed and could cause further damage.

I see something worrying but I don’t know if it is bad enough to report.

There are a lot of old buildings in New York, but that doesn’t mean every new crevice in a wall portends an apartment complex falling down.

“Cracks are a natural phenomenon in concrete, and in mortar between brick joints,” Chandler said. “That doesn’t mean that they should be ignored, but nevertheless, it’s not something to panic about.”

Even an “unsafe” classification on a DOB facade inspection record does not mean the building is in imminent danger, he said.

“‘Unsafe’ means it definitely needs attention and it definitely poses a threat — in the facade world — to pedestrians or anybody who’s outside the building. But that doesn’t mean anybody who’s inside the building needs to be concerned,” he said.

A notable exception to that, of course, is in “bearing wall” buildings — of which there are thousands in New York — like the one in The Bronx that crumbled on Monday.

Bearing wall construction means the exterior walls are the ones holding up the building; each floor is held up by its joining to the exterior walls of the property. In those instances, bricks are not just for decoration, but are critical for holding up the whole structure. If they aren’t maintained over time, it leads to big problems.

“People generally don’t need to be worried, they just need to be mindful that repairs are required to buildings in general, but specifically to these types of buildings that are held up by the exterior walls. The bricks need to be maintained and the mortar between those bricks needs to be monitored and and repaired when they become neglected,” Chandler said.

One of the most common — and potentially dangerous — issues that could lead to structural damage is signs of water, says Silva.

Water damage can lead to structural issues over time because, if moisture creeps on a main structural element, like the foundation, it could lead to a collapse. 

Water damage comes with the added risk of developing mold, which can be hazardous to your respiratory health. Visual signs of mold are an indication that water is making its way into your home, along with leaky walls and ceilings, paint bubbles on your walls, and walls that are soft and mushy to the touch on days with high humidity.

“Anything submerged in water for 60 years is going to break up — anything affected by moisture just gets weaker,” he said.

If you’re not sure if a problem is dangerous, call 311 and describe it to the operator in as much detail as you can. Even if they determine that it’s not an urgent problem, reporting it will create a record so that an inspector can look into it down the line. If a violation is issued, the city will notify the property owner.