Fri., Sept. 18, 2015: Tenants PAC Fundraiser honoring 10 elected officials who sat in for tenants

It's time to get Back to Work for the Future!

Come to the TENANTS PAC FUNDRAISER 

• Friday, Sept. 18, 2015 
• from 6:30-9 PM 
• at Local 802, American Federation of Musicians, 
• 322 W. 48th St. (between 8th & 9th Aves.)

Jazz!!! courtesy of Local 802.

Contribute!  

New case could re-regulate thousands of apartments!!

Brick Underground

ASK A RENTERS RIGHTS LAWYER FEATURED PARTNER

ATTENTION NYC RENTERS: THANKS TO A NEW RULING, YOUR APARTMENT MIGHT BE RENT-STABILIZED AFTER ALL

9/14/15 - 2:49 PM

Excerpt:  

Huge news in the world of affordable housing: thanks to a recent ruling, scores of New Yorkers may soon find that their market-rate apartments should legally be rent-stabilized, says Sam Himmelstein, a lawyer who represents residential and commercial tenants and tenant associations.

There was some controversy back in July surrounding Albany's new rent regulation deal, and its language specifying that an apartment had to actually be rented by the departing stabilized tenant before a vacancy at the de-regulation limit—which is currently $2,700—in order for a landlord to legally take it market-rate. A denial of a landlord’s leave to appeal in a recent court case—Altman v. 285 West Fourth, LLC—has solidified and expanded this policy, and sources in the landlord community have told Himmelstein's firm they're waiting for the "floodgates to open" of market-rate tenants seeking to get their apartments brought back under rent-stabilization.

Read attorney Sam Himmelstein's important article in full. 

Stronger law on de-regulating vacant apartments

Attorney David Hershey-Webb wrote in the NY Law Journal (see below):  "The new law provides that a rent stabilized apartment cannot be deregulated unless the prior tenant's legal regulated rent is $2,700."  (That's different from the general landlord practice of taking an apartment whose rent was low and raising the price through real or claimed improvements.)

The new law supports the court decision under the previous law, Altman, decided by NY State's mid-level court.  Landlords have been trying to appeal that case, so far without success.  If the appeal is denied in Altman, the new law will certainly stand!

Protection against landlord harassment on relocation

From NYC Council Housing Chairman Jumaane Williams:

Photo Credit: William Alatriste, NYC COUNCIL

BRONX, NY: On September 3, 2015, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed Intro. 700 into law, co-sponsored by Council Member Jumaane D. Williams (D-Brooklyn), Deputy Leader and Chair of the Council's Housing and Buildings Committee, which is part of a Tenant Protection Package that aims to address the poor business practices of unscrupulous tenant relocation specialists, or as they are more commonly known, tenant relocators. The package of bills were passed by the New York City Council on August 13, 2015.