Housing & Property

Amsterdam is committed to providing a safe, clean and enjoyable environment for all residents. As a home, building or property owner in the City you have certain responsibilities that play an integral role in helping the City maintain a high standard of living for residents, increase property values and encourage visitors.

By maintaining your property you can help spur individual as well as commercial investment in our community, thus helping grow our community, lower tax rates and increase employment opportunities.

If You Own a Home, Building or Property You Must:

• Maintain your lawn regularly and remove snow from sidewalks in winter time.
• Keep your yard and surrounding property clean, free of clutter and unlicensed vehicles
• Keep you house in good repair including: Paint, replace broken windows and hand railings.
• Maintain a safe environment for tenants by adhering to local and uniform codes.
• Pay your property taxes; your taxes support our schools and your services.
• Obtain a building permit when making repairs or alterations. Not sure? Contact us.

All Residents Must:

• Follow City laws/ordinances: Noise (including loud car stereos and mufflers), Fire, and Animal laws etc.
• Keep your City beautiful - Dumping and littering is illegal, and is punishable by fines and possibly jail.
• Neighborhood Watch - Together we can make our community safer by reporting crimes as they happen.
• Pedestrians have the right of way - Not only is this is a courtesy it is a State Law, but remember, it does not give you the right to walk in the middle of the road or impede traffic, this is called jaywalking.

Becoming a Home, Property or Building Owner in Amsterdam

There are many area realtors that can assist you when looking for a home or property in Amsterdam. As well as realtors, the City of Amsterdam also has a list of city-owned property for sale that can be obtained from City Hall.

Purchase City Owned Property

If you are interested in acquiring city-owned property in order to rehabilitate it, we require that you FOIL request any open code violations with the City Clerk and make an appointment with a code enforcement officer to go through the property before you submit an application, as property is sold on an "as is" basis.

Once you have seen the property, you may submit an application to our Property Disposition Coordinator, City Engineer Richard Miller. When the City is prepared to sell the property, you will be required to pay an application fee of $100.00 (non-refundable). You must also submit copies of your financial statements. The financial statements must show that you have adequate funding to cover the amount you are bidding on the property and the amount of the estimated repairs that you listed in your application. The Property Disposition Coordinator may meet with you to discuss the application in detail.

The completed application and commentary of the Property Disposition Coordinator will then be forwarded to the Property Disposition Committee and Corporation Counsel for review. The Property Disposition Committee may ask for an interview with the applicant if further information is warranted.

The approved application, with recommendations of the Property Disposition Committee, will be forwarded to the Common Council of the City of Amsterdam for deliberation and final approval. A resolution will be enacted delineating final terms and the property turned over to you. Within the first months of ownership, the new owners are expected to bring the building up to code or face legal action from the City of Amsterdam.