We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
Mayor Bill de Blasio recently announced that Louise Carroll will serve as the next Commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). Carroll will work closely with the new Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants to create strategies to hold bad landlords accountable.
In a recent op-ed in the New York Daily News, Mayor de Blasio called on Albany to protect the over two million New Yorkers living in rent-stabilized apartments. The mayor outlined his support for several proposed Albany legislative policies that will close loopholes that predatory landlords depend on to flip rent-stabilized apartments to the market rate.
State lawmakers recently passed the Tenant Protection Act of 2019, which amends the state’s Penal Law to lower the legal bar to prove harassment against owners. Previously, criminal charges couldn’t be pursued unless prosecutors could prove that the offending owner intended to push tenants out of their homes and that those residents incurred physical harm due to the property owner’s deliberate actions.
The current rent law expires in June and major reforms to New York’s rent regulations are on Democratic lawmakers’ agenda now that they control the entire state Legislature. Proposed changes to the rent laws are expected to make it harder for landlords to raise rents on regulated apartments.
On Jan. 10, at the State of the City, Mayor de Blasio signed an executive order establishing the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, which will lead comprehensive outreach on anti-harassment initiatives and be the central point of contact for tenant advocates. The mayor recently appointed Jackie Bray as director of the new office.
An East Village owner is asking a bankruptcy court to terminate tenants’ leases on the grounds that a proposed $8.2 million sale of the building can’t go through while the rent-stabilized leases are in place. The building has 16 rent-stabilized units and eight tenants at the building have been withholding rent for months over a range of problems, including lack of heat, failure to make necessary repairs, and rodents. The building currently has 68 outstanding violations, including citations for lead-paint hazards, rat droppings, and defective floors.
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz recently introduced a bill to change the state law when it comes to tenants who wish to file a rent overcharge complaint. Currently, tenants can request their rent history from the DHCR and file a complaint if they see their rent was increased beyond the legal limit within the last four years. Dinowitz’s bill would remove that statute of limitations, making any rent overcharge, no matter how long ago the illegal rent increase happened, a basis for a complaint.
NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer recently testified before the New York City Council Committee on Finance’s Fiscal Year 2020 Preliminary Budget Hearing. This year, the comptroller continues the watch list of city agencies that are of most concern when it comes to budgeting. The list spotlights city departments without demonstrable results for their spending.
Mayor de Blasio recently released the findings of a study that determined the city’s comprehensive strategy for the Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency (LMCR) project. The study evaluated dozens of adaptation measures and identified a set of strategies to build resilience in Lower Manhattan. The recommendations include developing a plan to extend the Manhattan shoreline into the East River to protect the low-lying and highly constrained Seaport and Financial District area.
DOB recently published a new, interactive map that provides greater insight into how the department interacts with the nearly 1.1 million buildings and 45,000 active construction sites it regulates. The map provides a 12-month snapshot of building permits, complaints, inspections, violations, and accident reports for every property in the city.
RSS