In the News

EPA Ordered to Revise Lead Exposure Standards

January 26, 2018    

A study published in the Journal of Pediatrics in 2016 found that despite decades of work to reduce lead in paint, dust, and water, about 3 percent of children around the country exhibit high levels of the metal in their blood. According to the study, the problem is particularly acute in parts...

City Council Passes Bill Protecting Immigrant Tenants from Harassment

December 20, 2017    

The City Council recently approved a bill that bars owners from asking immigrant tenants for proof of citizenship. Int. No. 1678, introduced by Councilmember Peter Koo of District 20, amends the definition of “harassment” under the Housing Maintenance Code to include discriminatory...

City Council Expands the Definition of ‘Harassment’

December 20, 2017    

The City Council recently passed Councilmember Jumaane Williams’s bill, Intro 1721-A. The bill expands the definition of “harassment” to include to include knowingly providing any false or misleading information to any resident of an apartment, making multiple false violation...

Four Lawsuits Target Owners Abusing J-51 Tax Program

December 20, 2017    

Four class action lawsuits were filed recently against three owners believed to be among the biggest abusers of the J-51 tax program in the city. The suits were filed in New York County Supreme Court after an investigation by the non-profit watchdog group, Housing Rights Initiative (HRI).

New Smoking Policy Rule Goes into Effect Next Year

September 19, 2017    

For years, the city has banned smoking in the common areas of buildings with 10 or more apartments. Beginning in February 2018, the city will extend this prohibition to include buildings with three or more units. In addition, Mayor de Blasio recently signed a measure into law that will require...

Bedbug Law Update Will Take Effect for 2018

September 19, 2017    

As a result of Local Law 69 of 2017, starting Nov. 6, 2017, all owners must attempt to obtain bedbug infestation history from tenants including any remedial or eradication methods. The new law requires owners to share written bedbug infestation histories with tenants on an annual basis. Notices...

Mayor's Plan Targets Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Buildings

September 19, 2017    

Mayor Bill de Blasio recently proposed new mandates that would force building owners to make sharp reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The initiative would mandate that owners of existing buildings larger than 25,000 square feet invest in more efficient heating and cooling systems,...

DHCR Issues New Fact Sheet Regarding Discrimination Against Foreign-Born Tenants

September 19, 2017    

The DHCR recently issued Fact Sheet #45 pertaining to the housing rights of foreign-born tenants. It reminds owners about the laws regarding discrimination, harassment, and retaliation pertaining to immigrant tenants.

City Council Passes Package of Anti-Harassment and Tenant Safety Bills

August 18, 2017    

The New York City Council recently passed a package of bills intended to provide tenants greater protection from landlord harassment and unsafe conditions. Several of the bills redefine the legal parameters of tenant harassment. Some of the bills also change penalties for harassment. Others were...

City Council Enacts Low-Income Tenants’ Right to Counsel

July 27, 2017    

The New York City Council recently enacted legislation establishing a right to counsel for low-income tenants in Housing Court. Currently, the bill is awaiting the mayor’s signature before it can become law. The bill, Int. 214-A, was proposed more than two years ago but wasn’t...

De Blasio Announces $32M Neighborhood Rat Reduction Plan

July 27, 2017    

Mayor Bill de Blasio recently announced a $32 million, multi-agency plan to reduce the city’s rat population that targets the three most infested parts of city: the Grand Concourse area, Chinatown/East Village/Lower East Side, and Bushwick/Bedford-Stuyvesant. This interagency initiative...

Council Speaker Hopefuls Urge City to Reform Property Tax System

July 27, 2017    

City Council speaker hopefuls are urging the de Blasio administration to support a lawsuit challenging the city’s property tax system. Council members Donovan Richards, Mark Levine, Corey Johnson, Ritchie Torres, and Jumaane Williams, all of whom, except Torres, have shown interest in...