Departments

City Sues Firm for Running Illegal Short-Term Rental Operation

January 25, 2019

New York City recently sued Metropolitan Property Group (MPG) along with a number of associated entities and people for turning at least 130 apartments across 35 residential buildings, including one entire building in East Harlem, into illegal short-term rentals primarily through Airbnb....

Construction Report Shows Surge in Filings for Multifamily Housing

January 25, 2019

New York YIMBY recently issued its annual construction report, which includes all new development job applications filed with the Department of Buildings (DOB) from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2018. In 2018, the total number of multifamily units filed with the DOB increased 70 percent...

Mayor Promises Protections for Tenants in State of the City Address

January 25, 2019

Mayor de Blasio vowed to create new protections for tenants in his sixth annual State of the City address, a sweeping speech focused on the difficulty of city living. During the speech he announced the creation of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants. De Blasio created...

Borough President Suggests Tax Breaks in Exchange for New Rent Restrictions

December 18, 2018

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., recently proposed pairing new rent restrictions with a tax-break for property owners. The plan is intended to end the threat of sudden, significant rent increases in regulated apartments where tenants currently enjoy preferential rents and compensate...

Furman Center Releases Policy Brief on Housing Court Legal Assistance

December 18, 2018

The NYU Furman Center recently released a policy brief on New York City’s Universal Access to Counsel (UAC) program, which guarantees legal representation for income-eligible tenants facing eviction in Housing Court. In 2017, New York City enacted the first legislation in the country...

Brian Kavanagh to Chair NY Senate Housing Committee

December 18, 2018

State Senator Brian Kavanagh has been appointed chair of the Senate’s Committee on Housing, Construction and Community Development. This means he will be an influential voice as the Senate, under Democratic control for the first time in nearly a decade, makes a big push for stronger tenant...

Democrats Take Control of State Senate, Cuomo Pledges to End Vacancy Decontrol

November 26, 2018

The Democrats seized control of the New York State Senate with the recent election by winning eight Republican-held seats. With the victory, Democrats have a decisive majority in the state Senate. Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins is expected to become the Senate majority leader, making her the...

Most New Apartments Concentrated in Brooklyn, Queens Neighborhoods

November 26, 2018

According to a new report from Localize.city, more than half of the new units expected to open by 2020 are concentrated in just 10 neighborhoods. All but one in the Lower East Side are in Queens or Brooklyn. In all, New York is expected to get 31,000 new units by 2020. The wave continues to...

Mayor Appoints Senior Advisor for Citywide Lead Prevention

November 26, 2018

Mayor de Blasio recently announced that Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia will be named Senior Advisor for Citywide Lead Prevention to coordinate citywide efforts to reduce childhood lead exposure to zero. Since 2005, there has been a nearly 90 percent decrease in the number of New York...

Landlord v. Tenant: December 2018

November 26, 2018