Twelve months of 311 · NYC Open Data
NYC 311 complaint types, counted
The 30 most frequent 311 complaint types from 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2026 — how many requests each drew, which agency responds, and the details people report most — taken from the dataset’s own values.
The 30 most frequent complaint types
Counted 2026-09-28 11:56:42 UTC from NYC Open Data, dataset erm2-nwe9, for requests created from 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2026: 3,942,893 requests under 198 complaint types. The 30 types below account for 3,200,193 of them (81.2%).
| # | Complaint type | Requests | Share | Responding agency | Most frequent details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illegal Parking | 612,319 | 15.5% | New York City Police Department | Blocked Hydrant (170,773); Posted Parking Sign Violation (145,903); Blocked Sidewalk (87,568) |
| 2 | Noise - Residential | 436,971 | 11.1% | New York City Police Department | Loud Music/Party (254,730); Banging/Pounding (145,443); Loud Talking (29,803) |
| 3 | HEAT/HOT WATER | 357,820 | 9.1% | Department of Housing Preservation and Development | ENTIRE BUILDING (235,457); APARTMENT ONLY (122,363) |
| 4 | Blocked Driveway | 193,704 | 4.9% | New York City Police Department | No Access (145,161); Partial Access (48,543) |
| 5 | Noise - Street/Sidewalk | 175,100 | 4.4% | New York City Police Department | Loud Music/Party (137,666); Loud Talking (37,434) |
| 6 | UNSANITARY CONDITION | 133,902 | 3.4% | Department of Housing Preservation and Development | PESTS (70,613); MOLD (38,102); GARBAGE/RECYCLING STORAGE (20,923) |
| 7 | Street Condition | 118,039 | 3.0% | Department of Transportation; HIQA | Pothole (73,747); Cave-in (17,886); Defective Hardware (6,565) |
| 8 | PLUMBING | 83,110 | 2.1% | Department of Housing Preservation and Development | WATER SUPPLY (28,006); BASIN/SINK (19,726); BATHTUB/SHOWER (16,427) |
| 9 | Water System | 73,886 | 1.9% | Department of Environmental Protection | Hydrant Running (WC3) (10,801); Fire Hydrant Emergency (FHE) (10,612); Leak (Use Comments) (WA2) (10,081) |
| 10 | Abandoned Vehicle | 70,560 | 1.8% | New York City Police Department | With License Plate (70,560) |
| 11 | Dirty Condition | 68,107 | 1.7% | Department of Sanitation | Trash (60,629); Dog Waste (3,732); Dirt or Gravel (1,376) |
| 12 | PAINT/PLASTER | 66,913 | 1.7% | Department of Housing Preservation and Development | WALL (32,767); CEILING (30,135); WINDOW/FRAME (1,154) |
| 13 | Snow or Ice | 63,938 | 1.6% | Department of Sanitation | Sidewalk (34,099); Snow Tracking (15,165); Roadway (12,400) |
| 14 | Noise - Commercial | 60,597 | 1.5% | New York City Police Department | Loud Music/Party (46,574); Banging/Pounding (7,186); Loud Talking (5,227) |
| 15 | Noise | 59,227 | 1.5% | Department of Environmental Protection | Noise: Construction Before/After Hours (NM1) (19,760); Noise, Barking Dog (NR5) (7,583); Noise: Alarms (NR3) (7,203) |
| 16 | Traffic Signal Condition | 57,208 | 1.5% | Department of Transportation | Controller (30,172); Pedestrian Signal (5,279); Veh Signal Lamp (5,197) |
| 17 | DOOR/WINDOW | 52,366 | 1.3% | Department of Housing Preservation and Development | DOOR (27,902); WINDOW FRAME (17,009); DOOR FRAME (3,937) |
| 18 | Noise - Vehicle | 50,206 | 1.3% | New York City Police Department | Car/Truck Music (21,331); Car/Truck Horn (18,676); Engine Idling (10,199) |
| 19 | Encampment | 48,371 | 1.2% | New York City Police Department; Department of Homeless Services | N/A (48,371) |
| 20 | WATER LEAK | 46,513 | 1.2% | Department of Housing Preservation and Development | HEAVY FLOW (21,344); SLOW LEAK (18,289); DAMP SPOT (6,880) |
| 21 | Damaged Tree | 42,561 | 1.1% | Department of Parks and Recreation | Branch or Limb Has Fallen Down (18,414); Entire Tree Has Fallen Down (8,397); Branch Cracked and Will Fall (7,803) |
| 22 | GENERAL | 41,889 | 1.1% | Department of Housing Preservation and Development | BELL/BUZZER/INTERCOM (11,315); CABINET (10,008); COOKING GAS (9,227) |
| 23 | General Construction/Plumbing | 39,093 | 1.0% | Department of Buildings | Building Permit - None (9,608); Sidewalk Shed/Pipe Scafford - Inadequate Defective/None (4,228); Building Shaking/Vibrating/Structural Stability (3,724) |
| 24 | Derelict Vehicles | 37,293 | 0.9% | Department of Sanitation | Derelict Vehicles (37,293) |
| 25 | Illegal Dumping | 37,091 | 0.9% | Department of Sanitation | Removal Request (32,962); Chronic Dumping (4,129) |
| 26 | Street Light Condition | 37,036 | 0.9% | Department of Transportation | Street Light Out (29,125); Multiple Street Lights Out (1,055); Lamppost Knocked Down (645) |
| 27 | Missed Collection | 35,654 | 0.9% | Department of Sanitation | Trash (10,810); Compost (7,982); Bulky Trash (4,327) |
| 28 | Homeless Person Assistance | 35,189 | 0.9% | Department of Homeless Services | Non-Chronic (25,514); Chronic (9,675) |
| 29 | ELECTRIC | 35,058 | 0.9% | Department of Housing Preservation and Development | POWER OUTAGE (9,417); OUTLET/SWITCH (8,685); NO LIGHTING (7,431) |
| 30 | FLOORING/STAIRS | 30,472 | 0.8% | Department of Housing Preservation and Development | FLOOR (29,209); STAIRS (1,263) |
“Share” is the share of all 3,942,893 requests in the period. “Details” are the three most frequent values of the dataset’s Problem Detail column (formerly Descriptor) for that type, with their counts. Names are shown exactly as the data holds them, capitals included.
311 noise complaints in NYC
There is no single “noise” type in the city’s data. Noise is filed under 8 complaint types whose names start with “Noise”, split by where the noise comes from. Together they held 807,994 requests in the twelve months, 20.5% of all requests.
| Complaint type | Requests | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Noise - Residential | 436,971 | 54.1% |
| Noise - Street/Sidewalk | 175,100 | 21.7% |
| Noise - Commercial | 60,597 | 7.5% |
| Noise | 59,227 | 7.3% |
| Noise - Vehicle | 50,206 | 6.2% |
| Noise - Helicopter | 14,291 | 1.8% |
| Noise - Park | 8,534 | 1.1% |
| Noise - House of Worship | 3,068 | 0.4% |
| Every type starting “Noise” | 807,994 | 100.0% |
Noise by borough
For the 5 noise types that are among the 30 most frequent, the same twelve months by borough:
| Complaint type | Manhattan | Brooklyn | Queens | Bronx | Staten Island | No borough |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise - Residential | 65,764 | 112,058 | 79,721 | 168,333 | 11,087 | 8 |
| Noise - Street/Sidewalk | 50,192 | 41,383 | 30,481 | 50,011 | 3,027 | 6 |
| Noise - Commercial | 20,430 | 19,683 | 12,331 | 7,079 | 1,073 | 1 |
| Noise | 21,743 | 18,572 | 10,832 | 6,099 | 1,980 | 1 |
| Noise - Vehicle | 9,765 | 10,264 | 20,361 | 8,831 | 980 | 5 |
Read these as counts of complaints and nothing more. The dataset’s own documentation makes the point with noise as its example: many complaints from one place mean that more people there complained, not that it is the noisiest place in the city. The boroughs also differ widely in population, which these counts do not adjust for.
To see noise complaints for one ZIP code, open NYC 311 complaints by ZIP code and type, enter the ZIP code and choose “All noise complaints”.
How the types were counted
The counts come from one grouped query over twelve whole calendar months, ending with the last complete month before the newest request in the data (27 September 2026):
GET https://data.cityofnewyork.us/resource/erm2-nwe9.json $select = complaint_type, count(*) as n $where = created_date >= '2025-09-01T00:00:00' AND created_date < '2026-09-01T00:00:00' $group = complaint_type $order = n DESC
Two more queries, limited to the 30 types, give the responding agency and detail of each request and its borough. Every row of the tables is checked against the first query’s total before the page is written. To make the page again: python3 harvest.py --fresh, then python3 build.py.
About the names
- The column is now titled “Problem (formerly Complaint Type)” in the dataset; its field name is still
complaint_type. The dataset’s revision history records the renaming on 24 December 2025, when requests from 2010 to 2019 were also moved to a separate dataset. - Types are defined by the responding agencies, and new ones are added as demand changes, so this list is a count of one period and not a fixed catalogue.
- 9 of the 30 are written in capitals in the data (HEAT/HOT WATER, UNSANITARY CONDITION, PLUMBING, PAINT/PLASTER, DOOR/WINDOW, WATER LEAK, GENERAL, ELECTRIC, FLOORING/STAIRS). They are shown as written.
- A type can be answered by more than one agency. Where that happened in the period, the agencies are listed by number of requests.
A request you made yourself is followed at Look Up Service Requests at NYC311, which is the authority. This page belongs to the New York City guide.
Sources
- 311 Service Requests from 2020 to Present, NYC Open Data (dataset erm2-nwe9). https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Social-Services/311-Service-Requests-from-2020-to-Present/erm2-nwe9. Read 28 September 2026.
- 311 Service Requests data dictionary, attached to the dataset (updated 2025). https://data.cityofnewyork.us/api/views/erm2-nwe9/files/c5cc6926-45bb-4af3-8aab-0ee6a29bcf4d?download=true&filename=311_ServiceRequest_2020-present_DataDictionary_Updated_2025.xlsx. Read 28 September 2026.
- NYC311, “Look Up Service Requests”. https://portal.311.nyc.gov/check-status/. Read 28 September 2026.