Queens County, New York
Selling a home in Queens
Queens runs from East River two-families to beachfront bungalows, and a good sale starts with knowing which rules apply to your home.
Get my free home valueAbout Queens
Co-ops, two-families and the LIRR
Queens is Queens County, home to 2,405,464 people in the 2020 Census, second only to Brooklyn among the five boroughs. It reaches from Astoria and Long Island City on the East River to the Nassau County line, and south to the Rockaway peninsula on the Atlantic. Both of the city's major airports are here, along with Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. Its neighborhoods run from Astoria and Jackson Heights in the west to Bayside and Douglaston in the northeast.
Subway lines cover the western and central parts of the borough, and the Long Island Rail Road stops at stations across Queens, which helps neighborhoods farther from the subway. Housing ranges from brick two-families and attached row houses to large co-op buildings, planned communities like Forest Hills Gardens, detached houses in the northeast, and bungalows near the water.
Seller guides in Queens
Homes in Queens
What sellers should know
Queens has a large number of co-op apartment buildings, so many sellers need board approval for their buyer. Two- and three-family houses sell on their rent rolls and legal unit count. Detached houses in eastern Queens often sit on bigger lots. On the Rockaway peninsula and around Jamaica Bay and the East River shoreline, flood zones affect insurance, disclosures and what a buyer can build.
Get your co-op package together
Queens co-op boards each set their own rules for buyers. Collect the building's financials, house rules and any flip tax details before you list.
Check your flood map
If you are near the Rockaways, Jamaica Bay or the East River, look up your address on FloodHelpNY. Buyers' lenders will check it.
Match the C of O
Many Queens houses are used as two or three units. Confirm the legal count with the Department of Buildings before buyers do.
Name the rail line
Say which subway or LIRR station is closest and how long the trip to Manhattan takes. Queens buyers often choose by commute.
For landowners
Building on your land in Queens
In Queens, the NYC Department of Buildings issues permits, and ZoLa shows each lot's zoning and any special district. Since December 2024, one- and two-family homes can add one ancillary dwelling unit of up to 800 square feet, but below-grade units are not allowed in high-risk flood areas such as low-lying blocks near the Rockaways and Jamaica Bay, and backyard units are not allowed in historic districts. Forest Hills Gardens adds its own private review of exterior work, so get an architect's read on any specific lot.
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Selling a home in Queens: questions
What transfer taxes apply to a Queens sale?
Queens follows New York City's rules: the Real Property Transfer Tax is 1% of the price up to $500,000 and 1.425% above for homes, condos and co-ops. New York State's transfer tax is added and normally paid by the seller.
What do I have to disclose about flooding?
New York's Property Condition Disclosure Statement now requires house sellers to answer questions about flood risk, flood history and flood insurance. The old $500 credit that let sellers skip the form is gone.
Where do I find my property records?
Deeds and mortgages are on ACRIS. Permits, violations and the certificate of occupancy are with the Department of Buildings, and tax bills and assessments are with the Department of Finance.
Official sources for Queens sellers
- U.S. Census Bureau: New York City borough populations, 2020 Census
- NYC Real Property Transfer Tax (RPTT)
- New York State real estate transfer tax
- Harris Beach Murtha: New York revises Property Condition Disclosure to address flood risk
- NYC DOB: Ancillary Dwelling Units (Local Laws 126/127)
- FloodHelpNY flood zone lookup