Dos & Don'ts, Q & A, In the News, Landlord v. Tenant

DEP Proposes Water Rate Hike

May 22, 2023    

Increase would pay for stormwater resilience and infrastructure upgrades.

 

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently proposed increasing the city’s water and sewer rates by 4.42 percent to the NYC Water Board. Water Board rates are based on the...

City Council Conducts Hearing on Lead Poisoning Prevention Laws

May 22, 2023    

According to City Council stats, there were 111,509 lead paint violations in the city between January 2018 and March 2023. As of March 2023, 45 percent of all lead-related court cases are concentrated in the Bronx. Brooklyn ranked second for cases. The City Council recently held an oversight...

Setting Rent-Stabilized Apartment's Rent After Use as a Landlord's Office

April 23, 2023    

Q How do you set the rent on a rent-stabilized apartment after it has been used by the landlord as an office for approximately 20 years?

NYC Pilot Program to Fund Repairs for Vacant Rent-Stabilized Units

April 23, 2023    

Mayor Adams recently announced an initiative that will invest $10 million to repair stabilized units that are empty, and turn them over to tenants with rental assistance vouchers. The pilot program is called “Unlocking Doors,” and the city will provide up to $25,000 for needed...

Landlord v. Tenant: March 2023

February 21, 2023    

MAJOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS

DHCR Must Reconsider Whether MCI Based on Pointing/Waterproofing Was Depreciable

Landlord applied to the DHCR for MCI rent hikes based on pointing and waterproofing performed pursuant to NYC Local Law 11's facade inspection and safety program. The...

City Sues Owners for Building Code Violations, Dangerous Living Conditions

January 25, 2023    

Mayor Eric Adams and NYC Corporation Counsel Sylvia O. Hinds-Radix recently announced the filing of two lawsuits against Alma Realty Corp. and Empire Management America Corp. for the failure to fix thousands of code violations that created dangerous living conditions for tenants. The lawsuits...

Does Gas Re-Piping Qualify as MCI When Done to Fix Gas Leak?

December 21, 2022    

Q Our rental building had an unexpected gas leak and Con Edison shut off the gas service for six months for mandatory repairs. As part of the repairs, we were required to change all the gas pipes in the building to be able to reinstate the...

Landlord v. Tenant: January 2023

December 21, 2022    

PROCEDURE—COURT

ERAP Stay Vacated Because Co-Tenant Already Applied for and Was Denied ERAP Assistance  

Landlord sued to evict tenant for nonpayment of rent. Tenant filed an ERAP application, which automatically stayed the eviction proceeding. Landlord then...

Landlord v. Tenant: November 2022

October 25, 2022    

 

NY Lawmakers Seek to Revive Fight Against Broker Fees

September 12, 2022    

There has been renewed interest to cap or limit broker fees paid by prospective tenants after some high-profile instances of brokers asking for thousands of dollars in fees in exchange for highly coveted apartments have made the news. In one case, a renter paid a broker fee of $19,500 for a rent...

Comptroller's Plan Would Temporarily Legalize Basement Apartments

September 12, 2022    

Shortly before the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Ida, which resulted in 11 people drowned in basement apartments during the storm, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander released a report called “Bringing Basement Apartments into the Light.” The report proposes a path to legalize...

Switching from Gas to Electric Stoves in Rent-Stabilized Apartments

July 28, 2022    

Q I own a small mixed-use building in Brooklyn with two commercial tenants, three rent-stabilized tenants, and three market-rate tenants. As a result of Local Law 152 gas piping inspection requirements, I will have to replace five of the...