Closings glossary

BIN (Building Identification Number)

A seven-digit Department of Buildings number identifying one building. A single tax lot holding a main house and a rear structure carries a separate BIN for each of them.

What is a BIN number for a NYC building?

Quick Answer

A BIN is the seven-digit number the Department of Buildings assigns to an individual building. One tax lot can hold several buildings and therefore several BINs, so a violation or permit search run by address alone can miss records attached to another structure on the same lot.

The full definition

A seven-digit Department of Buildings number identifying one building. A single tax lot holding a main house and a rear structure carries a separate BIN for each of them.

Also called: Building Identification Number.

Where does bin (building identification number) come up in a New York City closing?

A Queens lot holds a storefront and a rear garage, and the open permit sits on the garage BIN, which is why the first search came back looking clean.

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