Feature Articles

How to Comply with NYS and NYC’s Anti-Sexual Harassment Training Requirements

July 29, 2019

Last year, both New York State and New York City enacted several significant measures regarding sexual harassment in the workplace. At the state level, the labor law was amended to require the Department of Labor and Division of Human Rights to collaborate in developing both a model sexual...

Take 1.5% and 2.5% Rent Increases for Renewal Leases

July 29, 2019

On June 25, 2019, the New York City Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) issued an order—RGBO #51—setting the rent increases you may take for rent-stabilized tenants in New York City on leases beginning anytime on or after Oct. 1, 2019, through Sept. 30, 2012. The board is mandated to...

The Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019: What You Need to Know

July 11, 2019

By Eileen O’Toole, Esq.

On June 14, 2019, the New York State Legislature enacted the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (the Act), which significantly altered existing rent control and rent stabilization...

How to Avoid Risks Posed by Tenant-Superintendents

June 20, 2019

Owners sometimes hire tenants to be superintendents. This practice can lead to serious problems unless the owner takes precautions. When a tenant is hired to act as a superintendent, he becomes the owner’s employee. This is not a problem. But suppose the owner later wants to fire the...

Governor Signs Sweeping Rent Reforms into Law

June 20, 2019

On June 14, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019. The governor has called the legislation “the most sweeping, aggressive protections in state history,” and it’s been described as the “strongest tenant protections in...

File 2019 Rent Registrations Online by July 31

June 20, 2019

You must file an Annual Apartment Registration application with the DHCR for every rent-stabilized apartment you own by July 31, 2019, using the DHCR’s online Owner Rent Regulation Application system. As in past years, the penalty for not filing is stiff: You can’t collect a rent...

City Council Passes Tenant Harassment and Displacement Legislation

May 23, 2019

The City Council recently passed 17 bills meant to protect tenants and prevent landlords from harassing them out of their apartments. The legislative package includes new rules on renovations, tenant buyouts, housing court process servers, and more. With its passage, owners cannot use...

File High-Income Rent Deregulation Form by June 30

May 23, 2019

If you have a tenant who’s paying a monthly rent of $2,774.76 or more for a rent-controlled or rent-stabilized apartment, it might be time to submit online the second of two Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) forms that may eventually lead to deregulation of the apartment. If...

Cure Violations for Upcoming 2020–2021 MBR Cycle for Rent-Controlled Apartments

May 23, 2019

It’s not too soon for owners of buildings that contain rent-controlled units to begin preparing for the upcoming 2020–2021 maximum base rent (MBR) cycle. The Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) has recently released the 2020–2021 MBR forms. The forms that need to...

Give Tenant Advance Notice Before Starting Eviction Proceeding

April 18, 2019

The Rent Stabilization Code (RSC) requires you to give advance notice to a rent-stabilized tenant before you can seek his eviction in most cases. The notice, known as a termination notice, informs the tenant that he must vacate or give up his apartment by a certain date.

City Council Passes Legislation on Lead Testing and Reporting Requirements

April 18, 2019

The New York City Council recently passed a package of lead safety bills that’s intended to update and strengthen the city’s lead laws, setting some of the highest standards in the country. The bills include new guidelines for testing for lead in day care centers, testing for lead in...

Large Building Owners to Submit Benchmarking Data by May 1

April 18, 2019

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...