Mayor Bill de Blasio. Image credit: CityLand

The Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act makes it possible to freeze rents at preferential rates for qualifying New Yorkers. On September 18, 2019, the de Blasio administration released guidance regarding renter rights under the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act. This guidance will allow New Yorkers who pay preferential rents in rent-stabilized apartments to benefit from the City’s Rent Freeze Programs. (more…)

Jackie Bray is the new Director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants. Image Credit: NYC Mayor’s Office

The Office develops policy to strengthen tenant protections. On April 15, 2019, the Mayor’s Office announced First Deputy Commissioner at the New York City Department of Homeless Services Jackie Bray will serve as Director of the Office to Protect Tenants to address the City’s “anti-harassment initiatives, enhance interagency enforcement and closely engage with tenants and advocates.” (more…)

Mayor Bill de Blasio announces repairs. Image Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.

The repairs will be made possible through public-private partnerships. On November 18, 2018, Mayor de Blasio announced that NYCHA has committed to $13 billion in repairs to 62,000 of its units. The renovations include new kitchens and bathrooms,  replacement of windows, elevators, boilers, and roofs, and improvements to common areas. The repairs will affect approximately 140,000 residents, who will “retain all their rights as public housing residents, pay rent limited to 30 percent of their income, and remain in their buildings during the renovations,” according to the press release. (more…)

Building owners denied certification may not significantly alter their buildings for five years. On October 12, 2018, the de Blasio Administration announced the application of the Certification of No Harassment (CONH) Pilot Program, which seeks to expand tenant harassment protections. The program will require buildings to meet certain criteria to certify that no previous tenant-harassment has occurred prior to obtaining construction permits for significant alterations to their property. CONH currently applies to more than 1,000 buildings, totaling to approximately 26,000 units protected under the program. (more…)

Mayor Bill de Blasio. Image Credit: Benjamin Kanter/Mayoral Photo Office.

Due to City’s low vacancy rate, rent stabilization laws have been extended. On March 27, 2018, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed legislation to extend rent regulation laws for the next three years. The laws will remain in effect until April 1, 2021. State rent stabilization laws continue to be effective when the vacancy rate is below 5%. The City’s vacancy rates are determined and measured by the Housing and Vacancy Survey, which is conducted every three years. According to the 2017 Housing and Vacancy Survey, New York City has a 3.63% vacancy rate. Mayor de Blasio’s legislation affirms that New York City is in a housing crisis. The legislation demonstrates to Albany that the City is in need of the State’s rent stabilization laws. (more…)