Departments

City Council Bill Would Limit Facial Recognition Technology

October 11, 2019

Privacy concerns by tenants and civil liberties experts have prompted the New York City Council to consider legislation that would regulate the use of facial recognition technology by both business owners and landlords. The KEYS (Keep Entry to Your Home Surveillance Free) Act, introduced by...

Judge Recommends Fine Against Owner for Threatening to Report Tenant to ICE

October 11, 2019

An administrative judge recently ruled that a landlord had violated the city’s human rights law for threatening to call Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers on a tenant. The judge recommended she pay $17,000 in a fine and damages. New York’s Commission on Human Rights...

Landlord v. Tenant: November 2019

October 11, 2019

DISCRIMINATION

Landlord Must Accept Section 8 Vouchers

The NY Attorney General sued landlord and sought an injunction barring landlord from not accepting federal housing subsidized vouchers as a form of rent. The AG claimed that landlord’s refusal to accept the vouchers...

City Council Enhances HPD's Ability to Recoup Relocation Expenses

September 19, 2019

On Aug. 14, 2019, the City Council passed Intro 30-A, which gives HPD liens a stronger position. It establishes that outstanding charges resulting from relocation expenses incurred by HPD following the issuance of certain vacate orders constitute a tax lien on a property. In other words, after...

Comment Period Ends for FDNY's Proposed Emergency Checklist, 'Close Door' Sign Requirements

September 19, 2019

The public comment period for the Fire Department’s proposed rule regarding implementation of Local Law Nos. 114 and 115 of 2018 recently closed. The Fire Department will review the testimony and modify the rules based on the public’s feedback, if necessary, then draft a final...

DCP Releases Storefront Vacancy Report

September 19, 2019

The Department of City Planning (DCP) recently released “Assessing Storefront Vacancy in NYC,” a report that examines retail patterns and storefront vacancies across 24 different neighborhood shopping corridors around the city. Recently, news media, communities, and elected officials...

City Sues Commercial Building Owner in Airbnb Crackdown

September 19, 2019

New York City recently filed a lawsuit against an owner of three Manhattan buildings over allegedly using Airbnb to advertise illegal short-term rental units in the properties. According to the lawsuit, the owner and his companies formed at least 21 illegal listings at the buildings through...

Landlord v. Tenant: October 2019

September 19, 2019

RENEWAL LEASES

Rent-Stabilized Tenant Can’t Add Son to Parking Space Lease

Rent-stabilized tenant filed a lease violation complaint. Tenant claimed that landlord refused to offer a renewal lease for parking spaces on the same terms and conditions as contained in the...

Preserving Both Higher Legal Rent and Preferential Rent in Rent-Stabilized Renewal Leases

August 22, 2019

Q As a result of the rent laws passed in June, I know that a preferential rent granted in a rent-stabilized tenant’s lease rider or provision must become the base rent upon...

City Sues Owners for Renting Out Stabilized Apartments on Airbnb

August 22, 2019

The city has named the owners of three Hell’s Kitchen buildings in a lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court for operating illegal short-term rentals in rent-stabilized apartments. Tenants of one building were left without gas or a roof for six months in 2015 due to a fire caused by...

Tenants Sue Owner for Allegedly Illegally Deregulating Apartments

August 22, 2019

A group of tenants on the Upper West Side filed a lawsuit recently claiming that the owner failed to provide documentation to justify rent increases that ultimately deregulated their apartments. According to the lawsuit, based on the recent rent registrations filed for these apartments, the...

City Council Proposes Legislation that Would Legalize Hostels

August 22, 2019

Councilwoman Margaret Chin and Councilman Mark Gjonaj recently proposed legislation that would legalize hostels throughout New York City. Hostels offer communal lodgings often sought by younger travelers looking for a cheap place to stay. Lawmakers passed a law in 2010 aimed at illegal hotel...