Mayor Supports New Regulations to Protect Tenants

In a recent op-ed in the New York Daily News, Mayor de Blasio called on Albany to protect the over two million New Yorkers living in rent-stabilized apartments. The mayor outlined his support for several proposed Albany legislative policies that will close loopholes that predatory landlords depend on to flip rent-stabilized apartments to the market rate.

The reforms would also shield all tenants, including those in market-rate apartments, adding new safeguards to shield these tenants from eviction without good cause and from massive rent shocks. Mayor de Blasio specifically called upon Albany lawmakers to eliminate the vacancy and longevity bonuses; eliminate vacancy decontrol; do away with permanent rent hikes for apartment and building improvements; and end preferential rent abuse, the practice of owners leasing apartments below their legal rent with the sole objective of hiking the rent dramatically after a year to push the tenant out.