Artists Claim Rent-Stabilized Status for Their Lofts

Artists living in a former luggage factory in Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighborhood are fighting back against rising rents by pushing for their units to be declared rent stabilized. They’re arguing that because the buildings were constructed before 1974 and the landlord hasn’t significantly renovated them, their apartments should be converted into rent-stabilized units, with lower monthly payments protected by law. The current owner bought the building in 1999, and tenants first began moving into the converted space in 2000.