Feature Articles

COVID-19 Outbreak: Building Management Best Practices

March 19, 2020

The risk of COVID transmission in residential buildings is low—as long as you follow proper protocols.

Chief Administrative Judge Announces Statewide Eviction Ban

March 19, 2020

Due to the coronavirus, New York State has suspended eviction proceedings indefinitely. A memo issued by New York’s Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence Malks effectively suspended eviction proceedings and pending eviction orders until further notice.

IAIs Made Prior to HSTPA Enactment Not Limited to $15,000 Cap

March 19, 2020

In early February, the DHCR released its online service that enables building owners to report information concerning individual apartment improvements (IAIs) for apartments subject to rent stabilization or rent control as required by the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act (HSTPA) of...

Follow HSTPA Security Deposit Rules to Minimize Consumer Fraud Complaints

March 19, 2020

At the beginning of March, to kick off National Consumer Protection Week, New York Attorney General Letitia James released the top 10 consumer fraud complaints her office received in 2019. After analyzing all consumer complaints received statewide throughout 2019, the AG’s office found...

How to Comply with DOB's Stricter Façade Inspection Requirements

February 21, 2020

Most owners know that NYC’s façade inspection safety program (FISP), formerly known as Local Law 11, requires periodic inspections of a building’s exterior façades. These inspection requirements were initiated in response to fatal injuries from falling masonry. Most recently, in...

How to Collect 2020–21 MBR Increases for Rent-Controlled Units

February 21, 2020

NYC Local Law 30 of 1970 stipulates that Maximum Base Rents be established for rent-controlled apartments according to a formula calculated to reflect real estate taxes, water and sewer charges, operating and maintenance expenses, return on capital value, and vacancy and collection loss...

Three Ways to Prepare for Covert Fair Housing Testers

January 21, 2020

The de Blasio administration recently released a draft report that outlined plans to promote fair housing in New York City for the next five years. The impetus for the “Where We Live” report began during the Obama administration when the federal government wanted to strengthen...

Use DHCR's Online Service for New IAI Reporting Requirements

January 21, 2020

The Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act (HSTPA) of 2019 requires owners to notify the DHCR of all individual apartment improvements (IAIs) and requires the DHCR to establish a “centralized electronic retention system” for tracking IAIs. Recently, the DHCR announced that on or...

How to Comply with LL 110 for Posting, Distributing Notices of Violations

January 21, 2020

Local Law 110 of 2019 went into effect on Dec. 5, 2019. This law requires residential property owners to post or sometimes distribute copies of DOB/OATH (Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings) violations along with an informational flyer for tenants.

The requirements of this law...

How to Comply with DOB's Gas Piping Inspections Requirements

January 21, 2020

In 2014 and 2015, New York City experienced two deadly gas explosions that prompted lawmakers to pass gas safety legislation in 2016. One explosion in March 2014 brought down two five-story apartment buildings in East Harlem, leaving more than 100 families homeless. And the other explosion...

DOF Publishes FY 2021 Tentative Assessment Roll

January 21, 2020

On Jan. 15, the NYC Department of Finance (DOF) announced the publication of the tentative property assessment roll for fiscal year (FY) 2021, which shows the total market value of all NYC properties for the upcoming year at about $1.378 trillion, an increase of $62 billion, or 4.7 percent from...

The Climate Mobilization Act: What You Need to Know

December 30, 2019

Last April, the New York City Council passed the Climate Mobilization Act, a package of legislation aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from NYC buildings and improving their energy efficiency. The goal of the new law is to reduce overall carbon emissions 40 percent by 2030 and 80 percent...