What's happening
This bill requires the Division of Housing and Community Renewal to create a public online database of major building-wide capital improvements in large cities.
Why it matters
Increased transparency for tenants and the public. By requiring detailed information about major capital improvements (MCIs) in large cities to be posted online, tenants and advocacy groups can more easily verify the legitimacy and scope of repairs that often lead to rent increases.
Potential check on landlord abuse. The database requires disclosure of costs, specific items, and contractors used, making it harder for landlords to inflate expenses or claim unjustified improvements in order to raise rents.
Improved governmental oversight and accountability. Publicly cataloging MCIs provides a tool for regulators and watchdogs to monitor patterns, identify fraud, and ensure landlords are complying with housing laws.
Empowerment of informed decision-making. Prospective tenants, current residents, and policymakers will have access to detailed histories of building investments, which can impact housing choices, policy responses, and dispute resolutions.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Post Capital Improvements Online
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to finance
- Referred to finance
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.
Publish Capital Improvement Database
In Assembly Committee · Housing · Sponsor Linda Rosenthal
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3884
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 27, 2017
Introduced by Sen. ALCANTARA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring the division of housing and community renewal to establish a publicly accessible online database of building-wide major capital improvements
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 260-a to read as follows:
§ 260-a. Major capital improvement database. The commissioner of housing and community renewal shall publish on the division of housing and community renewal website a database of building-wide major capital improvements installed by any landlord in every city with a population of more than one million inhabitants. Such database shall include an entry that describes the item or repair, including:
1. the cost;
2. make and model;
3. where the item was purchased;
4. the name of company or individual conducting the installation; and
5. the installation cost.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05426-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring the division of housing and community renewal to establish a publicly accessible online database of building-wide major capital improvements
Purpose or general idea of bill
The purpose of this legislation is to require the Division of Housing and Community Renewal to maintain a searchable online database of building-wide major capital improvements.
Summary of specific provisions
The bill will add section 260-a of the of the executive law to require the commissioner of the division of housing and community renewal to publish on the DHCR website a database of building-wide major capital improvements installed by any landlord in every city with a population of more than one million inhabitants. This database will include the item's cost, make and model, location of purchase, name of person or company conducting the installation and the installation cost.
Justification
Major capital improvements permanently raise monthly rates for rent-controlled or stabilized tenants and are often fraudulently tiled by landlords to collect increases. By storing basic MCI informational, most of which is already collected by DHCR in an accessible online database, tenants will be empowered to check if the MCI information tiled by their landlord matches reality. This will offer them an effective deterrent against fraud and give them the information necessary to verify the accuracy of their rent increases.
Prior legislative history
A.9981 of 2010 2011-2012: S.3257/A.1459 2013-2014: S.2217/A.699 2015-2016: S.3845/A.554
Fiscal implications
As DHCR already maintains a website, the additional cost posed by this feature should be extremely marginal.
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.