Mayor De Blasio Proposes Rent Law Changes, Urges State To Act
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New York Mayor Bill de Blasio wants state lawmakers to expand tenant protections for the city's 1 million rent-regulated apartments.
He unveiled his proposals Tuesday.
"This is a vital priority for New York City," de Blasio said. "Our working families and our neighborhoods are depending on stronger rent laws. Rent is the No. 1 expense for New Yorkers. Unless we change the status quo, tens of thousands of hardworking families will be pushed out of their homes. This has to be a city for everyone. It cannot just be a city of luxury apartments out of everyday New Yorkers' reach."
Plans include:
• Eliminating a rule that lets landlords automatically increase rent by 20 percent each time a tenant moves out.
• Setting new restrictions on rent surcharges for apartment or building improvements. Currently, landlords can permanently increase rent; De Blasio wants to make them temporary.
Rent regulations are shaping up to be a major topic for the state Legislature in the coming weeks. The rules expire June 15.
"For more than 2 million New Yorkers, the one thing that helps them afford to stay in this city and stay in the neighborhoods they grew up in is a rent-stabilized apartment. It's that simple," de Blasio spokesman Wiley Norvell said. "And our goal is to make sure that the rent-stabilized apartments we have today stay affordable for the long-term and we don't lose any more of them."
Tenant advocates are praising de Blasio's stand. But the Rent Stabilization Association, a landlords' group, says the current regulations have worked well as far as money for building improvements.
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