Lambda Legal recently filed a complaint against a New York City landlord for refusing to add a lesbian tenant's legally married wife to her rent-stabilized lease as is required by state and city law. After marrying her partner of 37 years in Iowa in 2011, the tenant provided a copy of her...
In a long-running effort to increase the rent at a Mitchell-Lama building on the Upper West Side, the owner, Trinity School, has succeeded in securing city approval to hike rents by as much as 13 percent in one year. This is more than three times the standard increase for rent-stabilized units...
Building Code Section 27-147 says that work permits are required for all building construction or alteration work, foundation or earthwork, demolition or removal work, or plumbing work. But it provides an exception for minor alterations and ordinary repairs.
A family is suing the owner after a kitchen fire sparked by a stove burned the family's 4-year-old girl and killed her older sister. According to court documents, two weeks before the fire, the building superintendent installed a new stove in the family’s fourth-floor apartment....
Recently, a judge ruled that tenants of a 921-unit rental building in Chelsea can proceed with a lawsuit alleging illegal rent hikes related to a tax abatement program as a class action. The case involved the same issues at the heart of the Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village case, where...
You may be doing renovation work in your building that may disturb lead-paint surfaces this season. Exposure to lead paint, of special concern in homes built before 1978, can cause permanent damage to the brain and nervous system, including behavior and learning problems. Young children are most...
Last year's overhaul of the federal flood insurance program, the adoption of new flood maps for high-risk areas, and the impact of Hurricane Sandy are all contributing to a substantial impact on flood insurance rates in the New York region. As a result, government officials, grass-roots...
Two Astoria landlords are fighting the city over billboards on their residential buildings, both located on the north side of Astoria Blvd. near the Grand Central Parkway. In 2011, the city presented each owner with a fine and informed them that the billboards—both of which dated to the...
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor for Operations Cas Holloway, and Sanitation Commissioner John J. Doherty recently launched the new “Recycle Everything” public information campaign to promote recycling and announce the expansion of the organic food waste recycling program....
Choosing the right tenant is one of the most important decisions an owner can make. The right tenants pay their rent on time, don’t cause any legal problems, and keep their apartments in good condition. To choose the best tenant among applicants, an owner should rely on a thorough...
Mayor Bloomberg recently signed legislation moving the deadline to file the annual real property income and expense statement with the DOF's property division from Sept. 1 to June 1.
According to statements made by Mayor Bloomberg, "moving the filing deadline will provide the...
The DOB recently announced the start of the Department’s No-Penalty Deck and Porch Inspection Program, a citywide initiative that allows New Yorkers to request a free inspection of their decks and porches without the threat of receiving a violation. This is the fourth consecutive year the...
