- Glossary
- /BBL (Borough-Block-Lot)
NYC rental glossary
BBL (Borough-Block-Lot)
NYC’s unique parcel identifier — a borough digit plus block and lot numbers that pins a property to the tax map.
The Borough-Block-Lot number is New York City’s canonical identifier for a parcel of real property. It combines a single borough digit (1 = Manhattan, 2 = Bronx, 3 = Brooklyn, 4 = Queens, 5 = Staten Island) with a tax block and a tax lot, uniquely locating the property on the city’s tax map.
The BBL is the join key for almost every city dataset about a building — ownership and sales history in ACRIS, violations and complaints in HPD and DOB systems, tax and exemption records, and more. If you want to pull the public record on a building, the BBL is how you find it.
It is distinct from the BIN, which identifies an individual structure on a lot rather than the lot itself. A single BBL can carry several BINs when a parcel holds multiple buildings.
Related terms
- BIN (Building Identification Number)A seven-digit NYC identifier for a single physical structure, distinct from the parcel-level BBL.
- ACRISNYC’s online property-records system — deeds, mortgages, and ownership history searchable by BBL.
- Certificate of Occupancy (C of O)The DOB document stating a building’s legal use and how many units it may lawfully contain.
- Multiple DwellingA residence with three or more independent units — the threshold that triggers many NYC building-code and registration duties.