Residential evictions in New York City decreased 15 percent from the previous year, representing the largest single-year decrease in evictions since Mayor de Blasio signed the first-in-the-nation right-to-counsel law and launched the city’s Universal Access to Counsel Program. Residential evictions by marshals have declined more than 40 percent since 2013.

Mayor de Blasio recently signed a package of bills intended to strengthen existing lead laws, close loopholes that endanger children, and increase protections for pregnant women from the devastating effects of lead poisoning. In 2019, the City Council passed several pieces of lead-related legislation to amend Local Law 1 of 2004 (Local Law 1), also known as the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act. The latest legislation further strengthens Local Law 1.

The New York City Advisory Commission on Property Tax Reform recently released its preliminary report with an analysis of the city’s property tax system and a set of 10 initial recommendations for system reforms. The report marks the first review of the property tax system by a government-appointed commission since 1993. The report can be found here.

The DHCR recently released its new online service that will enable building owners to report information concerning individual apartment improvements (IAIs) for apartments subject to rent stabilization or rent control. This service was mandated by the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act (HSTPA) of 2019, which required the DHCR to develop a notification form for building owners to file with the DHCR for all IAIs made in vacant and occupied apartments.

Sen. Zellnor Myrie, who represents Central Brooklyn, is drafting new legislation that would give tenants the first opportunity to buy their building should it come up for sale. The bill, which is expected to be introduced soon, is being modeled after right-of-first-refusal legislation in a handful of states and in Washington, D.C.

The New York Court of Appeals on Tuesday, Jan. 7, held a hearing on five cases that involved claims that tenants were overcharged rent by their landlords, who had removed their apartments from rent stabilization while collecting J-51 tax benefits.

Each of the cases cite the pivotal 2009 Court of Appeals ruling, Roberts v. Tishman Speyer Properties, in which the high court ruled that landlords couldn’t receive J-51 tax benefits in New York City if th...

The de Blasio Administration released the Where We Live NYC Draft Plan for public review. This is the city’s comprehensive plan to promote fair housing and take action to advance opportunity for all New Yorkers The Where We Live NYC Draft Plan outlines key goals and strategies to address New York City’s fair housing challenges. The plan analyzes the state of fair housing in New York City today and lays out an action plan for the next five years. It includes ...

On Dec. 19, the City Council passed a bill that would require owners to install temperature monitoring devices in buildings with heat problems. The legislation would require HPD to identify 50 class A multiple dwellings based on factors including the number of temperature violations and heat-related complaints every two years. Such identified buildings would then be required to install Internet-capable temperature reporting devices for up to two years. And HPD would be ...

The governor recently signed a bill package from Attorney General Letitia James that she says will make it more difficult for owners to force tenants out of their rent-regulated homes. Previously, the law provided protections only to those tenants who could demonstrate physical injury and failed to take into account the conditions caused by the landlord.

HPD, in partnership with LeadFreeNYC, recently launched an outreach and education campaign to remind property owners of their responsibilities under the law when it comes to identifying lead-based paint hazards and remediating those hazards safely. LeadFreeNYC is an interagency comprehensive plan to end childhood lead exposure. Through the initiative, the city will increase resources and support for children, parents, and healthcare providers to make sure every child un...