New Laws & Regs

City Council Votes to Require Self-Closing Door Inspections

June 28, 2022    

On June 2, the City Council voted on legislation requiring inspections for self-closing doors in residential buildings. This is an additional fire safety measure to prevent fire tragedies, and it complements the recent legislative package that was passed in May and signed into law on June 1....

Governor Signs Hotel Conversion Bill

June 28, 2022    

On June 7, Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law New York State Senate Bill S4937C. This law allows hotels that are already authorized as Class B hotels to rent rooms for permanent residence purposes and unlocks $200 million in state funds to finance the conversions. The bill cites both the lack...

City Council Seeks to Strengthen Fire Safety Rules

May 19, 2022    

At a recent City Council hearing, councilmembers questioned fire and housing department leaders on the city’s safety inspections of residential buildings in the wake of a January fire at a high-rise in the Bronx that left 17 people dead. The Bronx apartment building fire, the city's...

City Council Passes Legislation to Limit Fees for Early Vacancies

December 21, 2021    

On Nov. 23, 2021, the City Council passed Int. 2312-A, which amends the landlord’s duty to mitigate damages for an early vacancy of a leased residence. Specifically, it limits the fees owners can collect from tenants who vacate before the end of a lease to prepare the property for the next...

City Council Passes Bill to Further Regulate Short-Term Rentals

December 21, 2021    

On Dec. 9, 2021, the City Council voted to approve Int. 2309-A, which requires short-term rentals to register with the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement. The bill would for the first time require hosts to register with the city before renting out their homes on a short-term basis or...

City Council Extends Local Law 152 Gas Pipe Inspection Deadline

November 19, 2021    

Local Law 152 requires that all buildings with gas piping, except R-3 occupancy buildings (which are mostly one- and two-family dwellings), have their gas piping system inspected at certain intervals by a licensed master plumber (LMP).

Data Privacy Bill Targets Buildings with Keyless Entry Systems

May 20, 2021    

On April 29, the New York City Council passed the Tenant Data Privacy Act (TDPA) that would require owners of "smart access" buildings that use keyless entry systems to provide tenants with a data retention and privacy policy.

Distribute Notice of Disability Accommodation Rights to Tenants

April 23, 2021    

On March 25, 2021, Governor Cuomo signed Chapter 82 of the Laws of 2021, enacting a new provision codified as Executive Law §170d. This statute requires the New York State Division of Human Rights to issue regulations requiring housing providers “to provide notice to all tenants and...

New Reasons DOB May Deny Your Permits: Excessive Violations, Monies Owed

March 19, 2021    

In March, two local laws affecting owners’ ability to pull permits from the DOB have gone into effect. While Local Law 104 of 2019 and Local Law 160 of 2017 have been on the books for some time, the DOB and HPD only recently have issued details for enforcement of these regulations.

Local Law 1 Expands to Cover One- and Two-Unit Buildings

February 19, 2021    

Local Law 29 of 2020 became effective on Feb. 11, 2021. It expanded the application of New York City’s lead paint rules to include tenant-occupied, one- and two-unit buildings. Before Local Law 29 went into effect, most of Local Law 1, NYC’s lead poisoning prevention law, had applied...

Mayor Expands City's Green New Deal to Rent-Regulated Buildings

November 20, 2020    

Mayor Bill de Blasio recently signed into law a bill that requires some rent-regulated buildings to abide by strict carbon emission caps. The bill, which was spearheaded by Queens Council Member Costa Constantinides, increases the threshold for rent-regulated buildings to be exempted from the...

Local Law 31: HPD Adopts Five-Year Lead Paint Testing Rules

September 24, 2020    

We'll give you a checklist of key lead paint-related documents to save to prove compliance, and tell you about grants available to help you remediate lead paint hazards.

 

Earlier this year, Mayor de Blasio signed a package of bills designed to strengthen existing lead...