The City Council recently held a hearing on a bill, known as 214-a, that would make New York City the first jurisdiction in the country to guarantee lawyers for any low-income residents facing eviction. Unlike defendants in criminal cases, individuals who cannot afford an attorney in civil...
Last year, NYC’s buildings phased out the dirtiest type of heating oil. And, on Sept. 28, the City Council passed Intro 642, a bill requiring buildings to use cleaner biodiesel blends for heating oil. Biodiesel is a clean-burning and renewable diesel replacement fuel that is produced from...
The federal government recently reported that median household incomes jumped by 5.2 percent in 2015, the largest gain on record, meaning the typical American family got a raise for the first time in seven years. In New York City, the median household income rose by 5.1 percent, to $55,752.
Following a report that found that over half of Airbnb listings in New York City were illegal, Airbnb has released its own numbers. The report was issued by Housing Conservation Coordinators and MFY Legal Services. It found that 55 percent or almost 30,000 of the more than 51,000 Airbnb listings...
The DOB is rolling out a new $29.6 million computer system this summer that will replace an antiquated mainframe that still relies on paper to process all construction permits, safety inspections, and complaints. The new system is called DOB Now, and its purpose is to streamline and digitize...
The New York State Legislature finished its last official session of 2016 without renewing or replacing the state’s 421-a program. The 421-a program expired in January. Originally, it launched during the fiscal crisis of the 1970s to encourage new residential construction by offering...
The New York State Senate recently passed a bill that would make it illegal to advertise short-term rentals (less than 30 days) for entire homes on Airbnb after the State Assembly passed the bill through to the State Senate. The next step in the process is for Governor Andrew Cuomo to either...
The City Council recently introduced a set of bills aimed at limiting the practice of buying rent-stabilized units at prices that advocates say make sense only if some tenants are ultimately replaced by higher-paying ones. The council members are hoping that by targeting and identifying real...
Recently, Steven Croman, a landlord whose companies had bought up more than 140 Manhattan apartment buildings, turned himself in to the authorities after he was charged with 20 felonies, including grand larceny, criminal tax fraud, falsifying business records, and a scheme to defraud, relating...
The New York City Water Board recently unanimously approved a 2.1 percent increase in the city’s water and sewer rates. The increase, the lowest in 16 years, is the third consecutive rate rise since Mayor de Blasio took office in 2014. The new rate takes effect July 1.
On May 3, the Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) voted on preliminary increases for next year for the city’s rent-stabilized apartments. The nine-member board voted 5-4 in favor of increases of 0 percent to 2 percent on one-year leases and 0.5 percent to 3.5 percent on two-year leases signed...
The Rent Stabilization Association recently launched an ad campaign against Mayor Bill de Blasio’s housing policies, arguing that the squeeze on their profits is putting jobs in danger. The ads feature actors portraying maintenance workers and small business owners who complain about work...
