HP Proceeding (Housing Part)

What it means

An HP proceeding is a case filed in housing court asking a judge to order the landlord to make repairs. HP stands for Housing Part — the section of the court that handles these cases. The tenant fills out a form listing the problems, and a housing inspector comes to the apartment to verify them. If the inspector confirms the violations, the judge orders the landlord to fix them by a specific date. If the landlord does not comply, the judge can impose fines. The tenant does not need a lawyer to file, and there is no filing fee.

When you might hear this

This comes up when a tenant has repair problems — no heat, no hot water, mold, pests, broken plumbing — and the landlord is not fixing them. The tenant can file an HP proceeding in housing court to force the landlord to make repairs.

What to ask