Recently, I applied for a certificate of no harassment(CNH) for one of my listings in the Mount Morris section of Harlem . It was a pretty straight forward process since there had only been only one tenant in the last many years. However, due to the shortage of staff at HPD it took more than 9 months to receive it. In comparison, I went through the same process for another owner and was able to get an approval in 5.5 months. According to reps at HPD, they have many applications and lack the needed staff. Thankfully it was approved and the owner now has it and it’s valid for the next 3 years.
Upon approval of the application, they made the owner sign an affidavit of no future harassment. This is the owner’s statement that they will not harass the tenants in the future either. A future buyer will need to take the CNH along with the affidavit of no future harassment to the Buildings Department in order to get a permit to alter the building.
The Author- 
Brian Silvestry , a licensed real estate broker, has been selling residential and commercial real estate since 1999. He has sold in every Manhattan market from Battery Park City to Washington Heights.