Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie recently announced an agreement on the FY2022 New York State Budget. The 2021-2022 State Budget includes $2.4 billion for the creation of a COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program. The...
Five small landlords have sued New York Attorney General Letitia James. Attorneys for the group are arguing that the hardship declaration form is “unconstitutional compelled speech,” because it forces landlords to, in effect, voice support for a policy that is “squarely adverse...
The DOB recently announced the launch of a seven-week façade and scaffold safety blitz. This campaign includes direct educational outreach to construction workers and industry professionals on scaffold safety, as well as inspection sweeps on façade work sites across the five boroughs. DOB...
Housing advocates and Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Queens) are calling for $2.2 billion to help struggling tenants and small landlords. Gianaris recently sent a letter calling on Gov. Cuomo to establish a Housing Stability Relief fund to pay owners for rent arrears and clear the debt of...
New York Attorney General Letitia James recently announced agreements with an owner and a security firm over repeated violations of rent stabilization laws. The agreements resolve violations relating to the modification of a front door lock of the rent-stabilized building located in Flushing,...
As part of his 2021 agenda, the governor will propose legislation codifying and extending the moratorium on COVID-related commercial evictions. Governor Cuomo will also propose legislation to codify protections the state has provided tenants by Executive Order. The State of the State proposals...
In his 11th State of the State address, Governor Cuomo proposed legislation that would open a five-year window for the conversion of office buildings and hotels into residential use. "The housing problem in our cities has gotten worse. But the crisis of growing vacancies in our...
On Dec. 28, the New York legislature convened in a special session to extend the eviction moratorium until at least May. Governor Cuomo signed the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2020 into law, which went into effect immediately.
We previously reported that the first cycle filing window for NYC Local Law 152 of 2016, which requires the inspection of gas piping systems at least once every four years, was on Dec. 31, 2020—unless the City Council passes a bill to extend the deadline. In December, the City Council...
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams intends to nominate tenant organizer Cea Weaver to the City Planning Commission. Williams can appoint one of the commission’s 13 seats. The planning commission oversees the city’s growth and development in the areas of housing, business, industry,...
As a result of Local Law 69 of 2017, apartment building owners are required to file bedbug infestation and treatment reports with HPD annually. Owners must file between Dec. 1 and Dec. 31 for the previous year from November 2019 through November 2020.
New York Attorney General Letitia James recently announced an agreement that secures more than $1 million in rent credits for harassed tenants and provides housing placements for 10 homeless families. The agreement with private equity firm Madison Realty Capital comes after Attorney General...
