What's happening
This bill requires the Division of Housing and Community Renewal to create a public online database of major capital improvements by landlords in large cities.
Why it matters
Increases transparency for tenants and the public. by making detailed information about major capital improvements (MCIs) in large cities available online, helping renters understand why their rents may increase and what work has been done in their buildings.
Holds landlords accountable. by requiring disclosure of specific details such as cost, make and model, purchase location, installer identity, and installation cost, which may deter inflated or fraudulent claims for MCIs.
Supports oversight and enforcement. by giving housing advocates, journalists, and government agencies a centralized tool to monitor landlord practices and ensure compliance with rent regulation laws.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Publish Building Repairs Online
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
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 MCI Database Online
In Assembly Committee · Housing · Sponsor Linda Rosenthal
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5691
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 13, 2019
Introduced by Sen. RIVERA -- 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.
LBD02514-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the 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
This bill requires the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) to maintain a searchable online database of building-wide major capital improvements (MCIs).
Summary of specific provisions
Section one amends the executive law by adding a new section 260-a to require DHCR to publish an online database for all MCI applications in cities with a population of 1 million or more that includes the cost, make and model, where the item was purchased, name of company or indi- vidual installing item, and cost of installation.
Section two establishes that this law shall take effect immediately.
Justification
Major capital improvements permanently raise rents for regulated tenants and are often fraudulently filed or used as a tool of displacement by landlords. By storing basic MCI information, most of which is already collected by DHCR in an accessible online database, tenants will be empowered to fact check MCI information filed by their landlord. This bill will offer tenants an effective deterrent against fraud and give them the information necessary to verify the accuracy of their rent increases.
Legislative history
New Bill
Fiscal implications
Since the Division of Housing and Community Renewal already maintains a website, the additional cost posed by this feature should be extremely minimal.
Effective date
This bill shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.