The bill promotes transparency of the program due to possible heightened need as the eviction moratorium is set to expire on January 15th. On December 15, 2021, the City Council passed Int. 2081-A, a bill that provides more transparency around emergency assistance grant programs. These grants, run by the Human Resources Administration (HRA), are “one shot deals” that can assist New Yorkers with rent or utility payments when they are facing an unforeseen situation or … <Read More>

A switch to remote work for many companies has left more office space vacant, and possibly available for different uses. On December 15, 2021, the City Council voted to approve Int. 2246-A, which creates a task force to study the potential of conversion of vacant and/or commercially unviable office space for different uses. The bill aims to address questions about how to best handle changing uses of office space for businesses, many of whom have … <Read More>

The bill will prevent the listing of illegal short term rentals on sites like AirBnb. On December 9, 2021, the City Council voted to approve Int. 2309-A, which requires short term rentals to register with the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement. The bill helps in the City’s fight against illegal short term rentals like AirBnbs. The bill was sponsored by Council Member Ben Kallos.

The bill amends the landlord’s duty to mitigate damages for an early vacancy of a leased residence. On November 23, 2021, the City Council passed Int. 2312-A, which limits the fees landlords can collect from tenants who vacate prior to the end of a lease to prepare the property for the next rental. The bill, sponsored by Council Member Kevin C. Riley, helps balance the needs of landlords to pay for the maintenance of units … <Read More>

The bill enables inspectors to check if violations have been issued in the past. On November 23, 2021, the City Council passed Int. 167 B-2018, a bill aimed at providing small businesses with relief from hefty fines and penalties for certain violations by making it easier for agencies to issue first-time warnings. The bill was sponsored by Council Member Alan Maisel. 

On October 7, 2021, the City Council voted to approve a new zoning text amendment that would help make public transportation more accessible. The Elevate Transit: Zoning for Accessibility text amendment allows the MTA to leverage private development in order to add elevators or other station access to New York City Transit, Staten Island Railway, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Stations across the city.