What's happening
This bill prohibits landlords from passing fuel cost increases onto tenants in rent-controlled housing in New York City.
Why it matters
Protects tenants in rent-controlled apartments from sudden or unpredictable rent hikes tied to fuel price increases. , which can help those on fixed or limited incomes remain in their homes without facing unexpected costs.
Shifts the financial risk of fuel price volatility from tenants to landlords. , potentially incentivizing landlords to seek more energy-efficient heating systems or negotiate better fuel contracts, which could have broader environmental or market effects.
Ensures greater rent stability and predictability for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents. , reinforcing the original intent of rent control laws as a safeguard against housing insecurity during periods of economic or energy market instability.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Stop Fuel Charges for Tenants
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Recommit, enacting clause stricken
- Referred to housing, construction and community development
- Referred to housing, construction and community development
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.
Ban Fuel Surcharges for Renters
In Assembly Committee · Housing · Sponsor Daniel O'Donnell
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1919
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 17, 2019
Introduced by Sens. KRUEGER, HOYLMAN, MONTGOMERY, SERRANO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Housing, Construction and Community Development
AN ACT to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to eliminating fuel pass-along charges for occupants of rent controlled housing accommodations
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 26-407.1 to read as follows:
§ 26-407.1 Fuel pass-along to tenants under rent control prohibited. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, rule, regulation, charter or administrative code, tenants of housing accommodations which are subject to rent control under this chapter shall not be subject to a fuel adjustment or pass-along increase in rent and any such increase to such tenant shall be null and void.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of September next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law; provided that the addition of section 26-407.1 to the city rent and rehabilitation law made by section one of this act shall remain in full force and effect only as long as the public emergency requiring the regulation and control of residential rents and evictions continues, as provided in subdivision 3 of section 1 of the local emergency housing rent control act.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01570-02-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to eliminating fuel pass-along charges for occupants of rent controlled housing accommodations
Purpose or general idea of bill
This bill prohibits fuel pass-along charges for occupants of rent controlled housing accommodations.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 amends the administrative code of the city of New York by adding a new section 26-407.1 to prohibit fuel pass-along increases in rent for any tenant of any unit which is subject to rent control.
Section 2 contains the effective date.
Justification
The majority of the tenants residing in rent controlled apartments are senior citizens living on low fixed incomes. According to the 2017 New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey, rent-controlled tenants have a median age of 73 and the lowest average income of any group of renters in privately-owned housing in the city, earning a median household income of only $28,260. The survey found that rent controlled tenants spend a median of 43.1% of their household income on rent; more than a third of rent-controlled tenants spend at least 50% of their incomes on rent. These tenants simply to not have incomes that can keep pace with annual rent increases of 7.5% plus fuel surcharges. Many rent-controlled tenants have already seen their rents more than double in recent years, and struggle to pay for food and other essential services.
Residents in rent controlled apartments face a yearly fuel cost adjust- ment, or pass-along, based on a percentage of the total amount of fuel delivered to a building, and divided by the number of rooms in that building. Tenants in rent stabilized and market rate units do not pay fuel cost adjustments. Unlike both rent stabilized tenants and market rate tenants, rent controlled tenants are in no way insulated from sudden and catastrophic rent increases based on higher fuel costs. This bill provides protection to the residents of units subject to rent control, who are likelier to be older, more vulnerable, and less finan- cially secure than tenants in other kinds of privately owned housing.
Fiscal implications
None.
Legislative history
2017-2018: S.3189/A.5168
2015-2016: S.2826/A.7344
2013-2014: S.3151/A.343 2011-2012: A.1839
2009-2010: A.6904
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of September next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law; provided that the addition of section 26-407.1 to the city rent and stabilization law made by section one of this act shall remain in full force and effect only as long as the public emergency requiring the regulation and control of residential rents and evictions continues, as provided in subdivision 3 of section 1 of the local emergency housing rent control act.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.