Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Press Release
May 2015
Contact: Joseph Yanis 1-718-596-0100
** Press Release**
Thursday, May 21st, 2015
osc.state.ny.us/reports/housing/affordable_housing_ny_2014.pdf
Also, a landlord who harasses a tenant in order to get them to vacate a rent-regulated unit will
face harsher punishments. The legislation adds a Class A misdemeanor crime of second-degree
harassment of a rent-regulated tenant when a landlord intentionally impairs a units habitability
or creates a dangerous environment, and expands civil penalties for tenant harassment.
The Assembly bill also:
For too long, powerful landlords have had the upper hand in New Yorks rental market, and that
has to change, Assemblyman Mosley said. Its essential that we pass stronger and more
effective protections for tenants.
Keeping rents affordable
In an effort to keep rents from skyrocketing, the Assemblys legislation caps how much a
landlord can increase rents on apartments that become vacant at 7.5 percent, down from 20
percent.
Moreover, when rent-regulated units become vacant, landlords will often make improvements,
such as installing new appliances. After an improvement is made, the landlord is permitted to
add a percentage of the total cost of the work to a tenants rent. However, in many cases, tenants
have been forced to continue paying for these improvements long after the costs have been
recovered. Further, under current law, a landlord can simply claim that they made an
improvement without ever having to prove the fact. The Assemblys bill puts an end to this
practice.
Affordable housing is essential to the economic prosperity of our communities, said
Assemblyman Mosley. This legislation focuses on protecting New Yorkers to ensure they have
access to safe, affordable housing.
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