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Sponsors
9 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to housing
- Referred to housing
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Relates to rent increases after vacancy of a housing accommodation; repealer
In Senate Committee · Housing, Construction And Community Development · Sponsor José M. Serrano
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:A463
Title of bill
An act to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, the emergency tenant protection act of nineteen seventy-four, the emergency housing rent control law and the local emergency rent control act, in relation to rent increases after vacancy of a housing accommodation and to repeal certain provisions of the administrative code of the city of New York and the emergency tenant protection act of nineteen seventy-four relating thereto
Purpose of the bill
To protect tenants by repealing the ability of a landlord to obtain a twenty percent increase in rent pursuant to the statutory vacancy bonus provision of the Emergency Tenant Protection Act.
Summary of specific provisions
This legislation amends the administra- tive code of the city of New York, the emergency tenant protection act of nineteen seventy-four, the emergency housing rent control law and the local emergency rent control act, in relation to rent increases after vacancy of a housing accommodation and to repeal certain provisions of the administration code of the city of New York and the emergency tenant protection act of nineteen seventy-four, that permits a landlord to increase the legally permissible rent by twenty percent (20%) upon vacancy of a rent-regulated apartment.
Justification
As housing costs increase exponentially across the city of New York, the displacement of working families and middle class resi- dents from rent-regulated apartments has reached crisis proportions. Undoubtedly, the displacement is aggravated by the ability of landlords to increase rent by twenty percent once an apartment becomes vacant, thereby getting closer to the decontrol threshold once the rent reaches the two thousand dollar per month level.
Under current law, there are no limitations imposed on a landlord's eligibility for a statutory vacancy bonus. Accordingly, a landlord can benefit from the vacancy bonus multiple times per year, rapidly trans- forming an affordable apartment into one that is market-rate and decon- trolled.
Equally problematic, there is no "clean hands" requirement that the landlord conduct itself responsibly in order to benefit from the bonus. Consequently, if a tenant leaves an apartment that is uninhabitable due to lack of heat, hot water, electricity, repairs or sanitary conditions, the landlord remains eligible for the twenty percent increase in rent upon vacancy. As a result, current law encourages bad actors to deprive tenants of a habitable apartment in order to benefit from the statutory vacancy bonus.
In order to stem the displacement crisis in New York City, and preserve the affordable housing stock that remains available to working families and moderate-income residents, the rent regulation laws are in need of
comprehensive reform. The repeal of the statutory vacancy bonus provision is an important step in that direction.
Prior legislative history
New Bill.
Fiscal implications for state & local governments
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.