233 E 5th Street. Image credit: GoogleMaps
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. This increase in rent brought the apartment’s rent above luxury decontrol threshold of $2,000 in effect at the time. (read more…)
Trump Village at 2940 Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn. Image Credit: GoogleMaps.
Residents of Trump Village challenged size of rent reduction when Trump Village switched to individual electric metering. Trump Village, located at 2940 Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn, has 433 rent-regulated apartments. In January 2006, Trump Village applied to the State Division of Housing and Community Renewal to convert Trump Village to individual electric metering and to separate the cost of electricity from rent payments of tenants. In June 2006, the Division approved Trump Village’s application, including a required rent reduction based on the Division’s Operational Bulletin 2003. Some tenants filed for administrative review with the Division, which the Division rejected in April 2008. In June 2008, Michael Knee, a tenant, along with the Concerned Tenants For Equitable Submetering commenced an article 78 challenging the rent reduction. They argued that the Division should have updated its Operational Bulletin 2003 using data from the 2005 NYC Housing Survey. While the petition was pending, the Division updated the Operational Bulletin. (read more…)
Image credit: Jeff Hopkins/CityLaw
Rent regulation is not a new issue for New York City. But the headlines in June 2015 were far larger and the reactions more contentious than at any time in recent memory. For the first time in its 46-year history, the Rent Guidelines Board decided that there would be no increase in rents for one-year renewals on rent-stabilized apartments; it also limited increases on two year renewals to two-percent. Not surprisingly, tenants hailed the decision and landlords decried it.
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Councilmembers Jumaane Williams (center) and Ben Kallos (left) at a rally for rent reform. Image credit: William Alatriste/NYC Council
Freeze vote first of its kind in Board history, applies to one-year leases in rent-regulated units. On June 29, 2015 the Rent Guidelines Board voted 7-2 to not increase rents on one-year leases, affecting 1.2 million tenants of New York City’s rent-regulated apartments. The vote marked the first occasion where the Board decided to freeze rents. The Board’s vote also increased rents on two-year leases by 2 percent, a historically-low rate. The new rents will take effect with leases begun or renewed on October 1, 2015 or later.
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The New York State Capitol building in Albany. Image credit: Matt H. Wade
Deal is retroactive to the programs’ expiration on June 15. On June 25, 2015 the New York State Legislature passed a bill extending rent-regulation protections for New York City. The laws had expired on June 15, and the Legislature temporarily extended its session to allow time for working on a longer-term solution. On March 11, the New York City Council passed an extension of the City’s rent-stabilization laws, as well as a package of resolutions calling for reform of rent-increase policies of regulated apartments, a total repeal of vacancy decontrol, and more.
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The New York State Capitol building in Albany. Image credit: Matt H. Wade
Framework of extension deal includes rent regulation, 421-a. On June 23, 2015 Governor Andrew Cuomo, joined by Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, announced the framework of a deal on extending rent-regulation protections for New York City. The laws expired on June 15, and the Legislature temporarily extended its session until June 23 to allow time for working on a longer-term solution.
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