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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Image Credit: New York Senate.
The law places limits on various mechanisms through which landlords of rent-regulated units can raise rent and provides many other protections for tenants. On June 14, 2019, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed into law the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, which Cuomo called “the most sweeping, aggressive protections in state history.” The legislation extends and strengthens rent protections for tenants across the state and went into effect before the expiration of the existing rent regulations on June 15, 2019. The new legislation makes the rules permanent, repeals high-rent vacancy deregulation and vacancy and longevity bonuses, reforms rent increases for major capital improvements and individual apartment improvements, creates protections for tenants across the state, and allows communities outside of the City to opt into rent stabilization. Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins sponsored the bills with many co-sponsors in both the State Senate and State Assembly. (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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