Privacy Policy
No Fines is a free web tool that helps NYC homeowners and small landlords find the filings, inspections, and postings the City requires for their building. This policy explains what we collect, why, where it goes, and the choices you have. We keep it short and in plain English.
The short version
Your building answers and your checklist stay in your own browser on your own device. We do not send them to a server and we cannot see them. The only personal information we receive is an email address, and only if you choose to type one into a form. We do not sell your information to anyone.
What we collect
| Information | When | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Your email address | Only if you enter it in the early-access signup box or in the suggestion box | To reply to you, or to let you know when a feature you asked about is ready |
| Your message text | Only if you send a suggestion | To read and act on your feedback |
| Building answers and checklist (address, unit count, building systems, progress) | As you use the tool | To build and remember your checklist. This is stored only in your browser and is not sent to us. |
| Basic, anonymous usage stats (page views, referrer, rough country, browser type) | Every visit | To understand how many people use the site and what pages help. No cookies, no cross-site tracking, no personal profiles. |
We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18, and the tool is meant for property owners and managers.
Where your building details live
When you answer questions about your building, that information is saved in your browser's local storage on the device you are using. It stays on your device. There is no account required to use the free checklist, and your building details are not uploaded to us. If you clear your browser data or use a different device, you will start fresh unless you saved a backup file yourself.
To look up building facts like year built and square footage, the tool sends the address you type to public City of New York data services (NYC Open Data and the NYC Planning geosearch service). That request goes directly from your browser to the City. We do not store the result.
The services we use
We rely on a small number of outside providers to run the site. Each one only receives what it needs to do its job:
- Netlify hosts the website and processes the signup and suggestion forms. When you submit a form, Netlify receives and stores what you typed so we can read it.
- GoatCounter provides the anonymous, cookie-free visit stats described above.
- City of New York data services return public building information for the address you look up.
Accounts and payments
Paid features and optional accounts are still in development and are not live. If and when we turn them on, creating an account would involve your email address, and paying would be handled by our payment processor, Stripe, which collects your payment details directly under its own privacy policy. We never see or store full card numbers. This section will be updated with specifics before any paid feature launches.
How we use what we collect
We use the limited information above to run and improve the tool, reply to you, send you something you asked for, keep the site secure, and meet our legal obligations. We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for advertising.
How long we keep it
Form submissions (your email and message) are kept only as long as we need them to respond to you and to improve the tool, and you can ask us to delete yours at any time. Anonymous usage stats are aggregate and are not tied to you. Building details you enter live only on your device until you delete them.
Your choices and rights
You can use the free checklist without giving us any personal information at all. If you did share an email or a message, you can ask us to show you what we have or delete it by contacting us at the address below. Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, or delete your personal information, or to opt out of its sale (we do not sell it). To exercise any of these, just email us.
Security
We use reputable providers and reasonable safeguards to protect the limited information we hold. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, but because we collect so little, there is very little to expose.
Changes to this policy
If we change what we collect or how we use it, we will update this page and change the date at the top. Meaningful changes, such as turning on accounts or payments, will be reflected here before they take effect.
Contact
Questions about this policy, or want to see or delete your information? Email us at hello@nofines.nyc, or use the suggestion box on the homepage.
Check my buildingNot legal advice. Not affiliated with the City of New York. See also our Terms of Service.