April 02, 2025

New York Apartment Law Insider

New York Apartment Law Insider
The May 1 Compliance Crunch Deadline: What You Need to File and Install
Mar 28, 2025
Feature
By Eric Yoo
As May 1 approaches, owners face a dense lineup of compliance deadlines tied to the city’s push for safer, greener buildings. Four separate local laws, some newly in force and others ongoing, all share the same due date. This year marks the first mandatory reporting date under Local Law 97, the city’s sweeping climate legislation targeting building emissions. At the same time, owners must meet existing requirements under Local Laws 84 and 88, including energy benchmarking,...

Management Basics
Department of Buildings Clarifies Boiler Inspection Rules
Mar 26, 2025
Management Basics
By Eric Yoo
We go over who qualifies to perform inspections, explain what’s involved in the inspection process, and provide details on the deadlines and penalties tied to noncompliance.
In the News
NYC Comptroller Report Questions HPD’s Heat Enforcement
Mar 24, 2025
In the News
By Eric Yoo
New recommendations focus on ways to address the needs of tenants living in buildings with the most chronic and severe heat issues. These options include using the 7A program, relaunching the Neighborhood Pillars program, and passing Intro. 1063-2024 of the Housing Rescue and Resident Protection Act.
Landlord v. Tenant
Landlord v. Tenant: April 2025
Mar 21, 2025
Landlord v. Tenant
By Heather Stone
Each month our sister publication, NEW YORK LANDLORD V. TENANT, summarizes about 50 decisions by the courts and the DHCR involving owners and tenants. Here are three from the most recent issue.
Feature
How to Collect Higher Monthly Surcharges for Tenant-Installed Appliances
Feb 26, 2025
Feature
By Eric Yoo
New monthly surcharges take effect immediately, and the state housing agency will apply them in all currently pending cases in which the owner is seeking a surcharge for one of these tenant-installed appliances. It’s important to note that the surcharge policy applies only to washing machines, dryers, and dishwashers. No surcharges can be imposed for other tenant-installed appliances such as refrigerators or garbage disposals.

Feature

Jan 29, 2025
By Eric Yoo
DHCR Updates Reasonable Cost Schedule for MCIs
The list of improvements and installations that may qualify as an MCI has been expanded.
Dec 23, 2024
By Eric Yoo
What You Need to Know About NYC’s Fair Chance for Housing Act
New rules take effect for performing criminal background checks on applicants.
Nov 14, 2024
DHCR Issues Individual Apartment Improvements Bulletin
Sep 20, 2024
DSNY Adopts New Residential Waste Containerization Rules
By Nov. 12, all buildings with up to nine apartments must use trash bins.
Aug 24, 2024
Compliance Paths for Large Rent-Regulated Buildings Under Local Law 97
DOB releases Article 320, 321 Filing Guides.

NYC’s climate law mandates that buildings of 25,000 square feet or larger comply with stringent guidelines aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By putting limits on buildings’ carbon usage, Local Law 97’s intent is to help achieve zero carbon emissions for the city by 2050. According to DOB, the law covers close to 50,000 buildings across the city, and those buildings...

Feb 24, 2025
By Eric Yoo
New Online Portal Streamlines Lead Exemption Applications
Filing for a lead-based paint exemption will ensure you get the benefits of having lead-paint-free spaces that are no longer subject to some of the Local Law 1 requirements.
Feb 23, 2025
By Eric Yoo
How to Submit Applications for Updated J-51 Tax Relief Program
Owners can now use J-51 for energy-efficient upgrades that support Local Law 97 compliance.
Jan 27, 2025
By Eric Yoo
DOF Publishes FY 2026 Tentative Assessment Roll
Brooklyn experienced the largest market value percent increase for Class 2, at 9.4%.
Dec 23, 2024
By Eric Yoo
Provide Annual Stove Knob Cover Notices by Jan. 16
And retain related records or risk facing a Class B hazardous violation.
Dec 23, 2024
By Eric Yoo
File Annual Drinking Water Storage Tank Inspection Results with DOHMH by Jan. 15
Or risk a violation.

Jun 14, 2023
The Legislature's Continued Assault on the Real Estate Industry
By Niles C. Welikson and Jillian N. Bittner

In its latest attempt to violate the Regina ruling, the Legislature has proposed retroactively changing the method for calculating rents in apartments affected by the Roberts ruling.
Jun 5, 2023
By Andrew I. Bart Esq.
Height and Weight Join the Long List of Protected Classes
New York City recently enacted a bill that adds two new additions to the lengthy list of protected classes under the New York City Human Rights Law. The law, which will go into effect on Nov. 22, 2023, makes it illegal to discriminate against an apartment buyer, renter, job applicant, independent contractor, or current employee based on the person’s perceived weight and height.
New York City joins six other cities and one state that passed similar legislatio...
Feb 27, 2023
Housing Court Post-Pandemic: Plagued by Delays
By Todd I. Nahins, Senior Partner, Borah, Goldstein, Altschuler, Nahins and Goidel, P.C.
The last time I wrote on the state of the Housing Court was over four years ago; I was not happy with the delays in obtaining trial dates and the length of time in which the judges took to render their decisions. Now I long for those days.
Sep 22, 2021
How to Apply the Rent Guidelines When ERAP Is Accepted
If you’re accepting ERAP funds, you must abide by certain terms.
Apr 22, 2021
How DHCR Awards Tenants Attorney's Fees in Overcharge Cases
Among the many amendments made to New York’s rent stabilization laws by the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (HSTPA) were new provisions making attorney’s fees mandatory for tenants represented by counsel who make successful rent overcharge claims. At the same time, there is no provision in the amended laws for an owner to recover attorney’s fees in the event that it successfully defends against an overcharge claim. As amended, Rent ...