Prohibits landlords from including incorrect information relating to rent decontrol in certain leases and renewals thereof; imposes a violation punishable by a fine of $1000 for a violation by a landlord; requires the standardization of certain notices pertaining to units subject to the Affordable New York Housing Program.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A659
SPONSOR: Rosenthal TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the real property tax law, in relation to prohibiting
landlords from including incorrect information relating to rent decon-
trol in certain leases and renewals thereof and requires the standardi-
zation of certain notices pertaining to units subject to the Affordable
New York Housing Program
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:•
Section one of the bill adds a new section 235-j to the real property
tax law.
Section two of the bill amends subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (f) of
subdivision 2 of section 421-a of the real property tax law.
Section three amends subdivision 2 of section 421-a of the real property
tax law.
Section four establishes the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Under current law, landlords receiving 421-a tax benefits are required
to provide tenants, when commencing or renewing a lease, with a notice
informing the tenant that the apartment shall become subject to decon-
trol upon the expiration of the tax benefits and providing an approxi-
mate date when such expiration will occur.
While this requirement, when properly adhered to, helps provide impor-
tant notice to rent regulated tenants that they may soon face a rent
increase, some landlords reportedly include such notices even in
instances where units will not become subject to decontrol upon the
expiration of 421-a benefits due to such units being subject to contin-
ued rent regulation under a different program or law.
Tenants should not be receiving false or misleading information from
their landlords about the pending deregulation of their homes, partic-
ularly under the guise of an otherwise legally-required notice. This
legislation would prohibit landlords subject to the 421-a lease notice
requirement from willfully including misleading or incorrect information
about the pending deregulation of the apartment in the notice.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: A.245 - Reported to Ways & Means; S.1610 - Passed Senate
2021-22: A.641-A - Referred to Housing
2019-20: A.7990-A - Referred to Housing; S.5651-A - Advanced to Third
Reading
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the State.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have
become a law.
