In the News

City Council Criticizes City’s Third-Party Transfer Program

July 29, 2019    

Over the past few months, reports have emerged that ownership of single- and multi-family homes around New York City had been assigned to nonprofit organizations, to the surprise of the original owners. Reportedly, these owners were mostly middle-class, retired black residents who had paid off...

Judge Allows East Harlem Tenants to Sue City’s ‘Worst’ Landlord

July 29, 2019    

A judge has granted a motion allowing more than 100 East Harlem tenants to sue notorious landlord Steven Croman. The complaint, filed by law firm Newman Ferrara and the Housing Rights Initiative (HRI), alleges that Croman illegally leased rent-stabilized apartments in a Harlem building at market...

Report Shows Slowdown in City's Multifamily Market

July 29, 2019    

A recent report from Ariel Property Advisors found that New York City’s multifamily property market experienced a dramatic slowdown in the first half of 2019. Transaction volume slid to an eight-year low, according to preliminary numbers from the firm’s Multifamily Mid-Year In Review...

A.G. Sues Property Manager Over Illegal Deregulation Scheme

June 20, 2019    

Attorney General Letitia James recently announced a lawsuit against a New York City property manager and his company for fraud, unjust enrichment, and repeatedly violating rent stabilization laws through manipulation of individual apartment improvements (IAIs). The manager worked for many years...

Rental Commission Fees Bill Amended

June 20, 2019    

Intro. 1423, a bill to limit the amount a renter could pay a broker for its services, was initially introduced in February. Specifically, the bill mandates that residential brokers would be “prevented from collecting fees from prospective tenants that are above the value of one month...

DOI Finds Errors in 2018 Eviction Data

June 20, 2019    

The city’s Department of Investigation (DOI) found miscalculations that affected the official residential eviction totals for 2018, a spokesperson for the agency said, and the figures are likely to be revised upwards. The DOI discovered that two city marshals made errors while totaling...

RGB Votes for Rent Increases in Preliminary Vote

May 23, 2019    

In a preliminary vote on May 7, the Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) recommended increasing rent for rent-stabilized apartment buildings. The board’s preliminary vote inside The Great Hall at Cooper Union in the East Village called for:

Mayor Appoints New HPD and DOB Commissioners

May 23, 2019    

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...

Mayor Supports New Regulations to Protect Tenants

May 23, 2019    

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...

State Lawmakers Pass Legislation Criminalizing Tenant Harassment

April 18, 2019    

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...

Rent Regulation Uncertainty Affecting NYC Rental Building Sales

April 18, 2019    

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...

Mayor Appoints Director to the Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants

April 18, 2019    

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...