HPD recently issued a release that highlighted new standards related to lead-based paint hazards. On Dec. 1, the standard to define paint as lead-based was cut in half. This new standard, the strictest in the nation, is expected to prompt an increase in lead violations issued by HPD inspectors. HPD expects inspectors to identify more buildings that may pose a risk of lead poisoning, so that property owners can take proactive measures to protect children.

The DOB recently updated the rules for periodic elevator and boiler inspections. The new requirements alter the timing for submitting test and inspection reports for both elevators and boilers in New York City. We’ll go over the basic requirements and cover the changes the recent updates made to the requirements.

Boiler Requirements

The boiler inspection cycle is Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. Internal and external inspections for low-pressure boiler and high-pr...

In New York City, Local Law 55 of 2018, the Asthma-Free Housing Act, requires that owners of buildings with three or more apartments keep their tenants’ apartments free of mold and pests. Under this law, an owner of multiple dwellings is required to inspect units annually for indoor allergen hazards, such as mice, cockroaches, rats, and mold. And it requires safely fixing the conditions that cause these problems.

As a result of Local Law 69 of 2017, apartment building owners are required to file bedbug infestation and treatment reports with HPD annually. Owners must file annually between Dec. 1 and Dec. 31 for the previous year, from November 2020 through October 2021.

The Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) recently announced an increase in this year’s air conditioner rent surcharge for owners who pay for electricity. It set the monthly surcharge at $27.16, up $1.85 from $25.31 last year. This year’s increase reflects a 7.8 percent increase in the price of electricity for electrical inclusion buildings as calculated by the Rent Guidelines Board’s 2021 Price Index of Operating Costs issued in April 2021....

If you’re accepting ERAP funds, you must abide by certain terms.

Large building owners must post the label by Oct. 31 or face a $1,250 penalty.

During “heat season” HPD responds to all heat and hot water complaints and, if adequate heat and hot water conditions aren’t corrected, HPD will impose penalties and may contract with private companies under the Emergency Repair Program to restore services to residents. In the last unprecedented heat season, HPD inspectors worked through a pandemic and responded to more than 114,000 heat complaints at a time when most New Yorkers were sheltering at hom...

On June 23, the Rent Guidelines Board voted to freeze existing rents for six months before increasing rates by 1.5 percent for the remaining half of the year for one-year leases. The RGB also voted to raise rents on two-year leases by 2.5 percent. The new rates take effect for leases commencing between Oct. 1, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2022.

On June 1, nearly two months after lawmakers first created the $2.4 billion rental relief fund, the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) launched the online application portal allowing tenants and landlords to apply for rental assistance. At the time, OTDA said applications to the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) would be processed in four to six weeks from the date of submission, though the time frame might vary "based upon the comp...