Owner Faulted on Luxury Decontrol of East Village Apartment

East Village landlord improperly deregulated luxury apartment while receiving a City J-51 tax benefit. Until 1999, apartment 5M at 187 East 4th Street in Manhattan’s East Village was a rent-stabilized unit with a rent of $1,464 per month. When the apartment became vacant the owner, 72A Realty Associates L.P., installed new windows, closets, cabinets, countertops and other improvements totaling over $18,000 in costs. Based on the improvements, the owner obtained a J-51 real property tax … <Read More>


Landlord Wins Decontrol Dispute in First Department

Post-vacancy rent increase raised rent beyond $2,000 threshold and resulted in decontrolling a rent-stabilized apartment. In November 2003, Craig Smith and Elise Stone rented an apartment at 233 East 5th Street in Manhattan. Prior to their occupancy, the previous tenant resided in the unit as a rent-stabilized tenant. The previous tenant’s rent at the end of his occupancy was $1,836.20 per month. On renting the apartment Smith and Stone accepted a 20-percent vacancy increase. … <Read More>