In the News

RGB Could Freeze One-Year Renewal Leases Again

May 10, 2016    
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 between...
Landlord v. Tenant

Landlord v. Tenant: Recent Sublet Rulings

May 10, 2016    
Court Dismisses Roommate’s Claim of Illusory Tenancy Landlord sued to evict rent-stabilized tenant for nonprimary residence. Landlord claimed that tenant lived and worked in Switzerland, and that she had sublet the apartment to an occupant without landlord’s permission. The trial court...
Feature

Follow Seven Rules When Sending Nonrenewal Notice for Nonprimary Residence Case

April 22, 2016    
If you’re thinking about evicting a rent-stabilized tenant for nonprimary residence, don’t derail your case before it even starts. Nonprimary residence claims are perhaps the most common type of holdover proceedings brought by New York City owners. Although every case has its own unique...
Rent Increases

RGB Releases 2016 Operating Cost, Affordability, Mortgage Reports

April 22, 2016    
The Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) is mandated by law to establish yearly rent adjustments for rent-stabilized apartments in New York City. The board holds an annual series of public meetings and hearings to consider research from staff and testimony from owners, tenants, advocacy groups, and industry...
Management Basics

File RPIE Statements by June 1

April 22, 2016    
The NYC Department of Finance (DOF) requires certain owners of residential properties to file the Real Property Income & Expense Statement (RPIE) every year. The DOF needs income and expense information each year to value your property accurately.
Management Basics

Large Building Owners to Submit Benchmarking Data by May 1

April 22, 2016    
Local Law 84 (LL84) requires owners of large buildings to annually measure their energy and water consumption in a process called benchmarking. LL84 standardizes this process by requiring building owners to enter their annual energy and water use in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s...
Feature

Five Rules for Handling Reasonable Accommodation and Modification Requests

March 18, 2016    
New York City and New York State have recently bolstered efforts to prevent discrimination. When Carmelyn Malalis was appointed to lead the New York City Commission on Human Rights in November 2014, the agency had come under scrutiny for what Public Advocate Letitia James called a “moribund...
Q & A

Q & A on DHCR's J-51 Rent Registration Initiative

March 18, 2016    
In January, Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered owners who received J-51 tax benefits to re-register 50,000 units for rent protection. This followed New York courts’ decisions that any apartment subject to rent stabilization at the time that the J-51 benefits were received must register those units as...
In the News

RSA Launches Ad Campaign Critical of Mayor’s Housing Policies

March 18, 2016    
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...
In the News

City Council and de Blasio Administration Seek Compromise on Tenant Protection Laws

March 18, 2016    
City Councilmembers and the de Blasio administration are set to discuss a compromise version of a bill that would require property owners seeking building permits to first demonstrate that they had not harassed their tenants. The proposed law, Intro 152-A, sponsored by Brooklyn Councilmember Brad...