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Privacy concerns by tenants and civil liberties experts have prompted the New York City Council to consider legislation that would regulate the use of facial recognition technology by both business owners and landlords. The KEYS (Keep Entry to Your Home Surveillance Free) Act, introduced by Brooklyn Councilmember Brad Lander, would require owners to provide tenants with traditional metal keys to enter their buildings and apartments.
An administrative judge recently ruled that a landlord had violated the city’s human rights law for threatening to call Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers on a tenant. The judge recommended she pay $17,000 in a fine and damages. New York’s Commission on Human Rights alleged that the landlord texted and emailed the tenant that she would call ICE if the tenant didn’t pay her rent.
On Aug. 14, 2019, the City Council passed Intro 30-A, which gives HPD liens a stronger position. It establishes that outstanding charges resulting from relocation expenses incurred by HPD following the issuance of certain vacate orders constitute a tax lien on a property. In other words, after HPD issues an order to vacate the premises, the subsequent costs to relocate the displaced tenant will now be considered high-status tax liens on the property.
The public comment period for the Fire Department’s proposed rule regarding implementation of Local Law Nos. 114 and 115 of 2018 recently closed. The Fire Department will review the testimony and modify the rules based on the public’s feedback, if necessary, then draft a final version. A copy will be posted on NYC Rules, published in the City Record, and submitted to the City Council.
The Department of City Planning (DCP) recently released “Assessing Storefront Vacancy in NYC,” a report that examines retail patterns and storefront vacancies across 24 different neighborhood shopping corridors around the city. Recently, news media, communities, and elected officials have expressed concerns about a proliferation of vacant storefronts, especially in high-profile areas of Manhattan.
New York City recently filed a lawsuit against an owner of three Manhattan buildings over allegedly using Airbnb to advertise illegal short-term rental units in the properties. According to the lawsuit, the owner and his companies formed at least 21 illegal listings at the buildings through Airbnb and tried to sidestep the city’s laws by saying they were using former office space rather than apartments to offer visitors to the city a place to stay, the suit says.
The city has named the owners of three Hell’s Kitchen buildings in a lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court for operating illegal short-term rentals in rent-stabilized apartments. Tenants of one building were left without gas or a roof for six months in 2015 due to a fire caused by illegal rental activity.
A group of tenants on the Upper West Side filed a lawsuit recently claiming that the owner failed to provide documentation to justify rent increases that ultimately deregulated their apartments. According to the lawsuit, based on the recent rent registrations filed for these apartments, the owner would’ve needed to pay $46,852 to $84,909 on each apartment to justify deregulating the units.
Councilwoman Margaret Chin and Councilman Mark Gjonaj recently proposed legislation that would legalize hostels throughout New York City. Hostels offer communal lodgings often sought by younger travelers looking for a cheap place to stay. Lawmakers passed a law in 2010 aimed at illegal hotel rentals, but the regulations ended up restricting hostels as well. Hostels never fell under clear definitions in the city’s building codes; before the ban, they were subject t...
A small apartment building in Greenwich Village recently sold, representing one of the first sales since new laws restricting rents were enacted. It provides an early indicator of the values of rent-stabilized buildings under new state rules. The five-story walk-up sold for $11.6 million, a 12 percent discount from the seller’s last asking price. Three of the building’s 13 units are rent stabilized.
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