Dos & Don'ts
December 18, 2014
If you discover that there are rent overcharges to your tenants, promptly refund the overages so that you can avoid having to pay DHCR-ordered triple damages. In recent decisions, the DHCR denied or revoked triple damages tenants sought for rent overcharges because owners gave tenants rent credits...
In the News
December 18, 2014
Council members Mark Levine and Vanessa Gibson are co-sponsors of a City Council bill that would establish the right to legal counsel in eviction cases. The bill, Intro 214, would create a position of civil justice coordinator under the commissioner of Housing Preservation and Development. If...
Feature
November 21, 2014
Tenants sometimes treat their apartments as if they own them, making alterations without your consent. For example, a tenant may remove the existing kitchen cabinets and install his own. This could cause big problems, especially if the tenant’s alterations aren’t done properly. If the...
Management Basics
November 21, 2014
Local Law 43 and other state legislation regulating heating oils (No. 4 and No. 6) in New York City were put in place to address the public health hazard presented by these fuels. The rules affecting types of oil used in boilers were passed in April 2011 as part of an update to Mayor Bloomberg...
In the News
November 21, 2014
Recently, an owner with illegally partitioned apartments pled guilty to negligent homicide for a 2010 fire that killed five residents. Prosecutors had filed charges against both the man accused of setting the fire and the owner. In February 2015, the owner is scheduled to be sentenced to one to...
In the News
November 21, 2014
When the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) updated its flood-zone maps for New York City, it covered 84,596 structures in the five boroughs, up from 23,885 in the 2010 maps, according to a recent report by New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer. These newly analyzed flood insurance rate...
In the News
November 21, 2014
Two years ago the city passed a law to make landlords repair the “underlying conditions” that cause mold to linger and ceilings to collapse instead of simply covering problems with layers of paint. Since the law was passed, records show the city has targeted only 69 buildings, including...
Feature
November 12, 2014
By Eileen O'Toole, Esq.
To implement the January 2014 amendments to the Rent Stabilization Code, the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) has issued revised versions of its rent-stabilized Renewal Lease Form, as well as the New York City Lease Rider for Rent-Stabilized Tenants and...
New Laws & Regs
November 12, 2014
Starting Dec. 3, 2014, all residential leases issued in New York State must include a notice advising tenants whether there is a sprinkler system at the “leased premises.” If there is a sprinkler system, the owner must also state the last maintenance and inspection dates of the system.
Q & A
November 12, 2014
Q: Can I collect special rent increases for low-rent apartments that were issued under Rent Guidelines Board Order No. 41 and later challenged in court?
