Albany, NY – The New York State Legislature passed legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D-Bronx) and Senator Marisol Alcántara (D-Manhattan) yesterday, the last scheduled session day, which cracks down on illegal non-rental fees some unscrupulous landlords use to pressure tenants out of their apartments or trick them into paying more than they owe. Pending the signature of the Governor, the DHCR will now be mandated to provide the full list of legally allowable non-rental fees on the lease rider it issues for all rent-stabilized tenants. The New York Times recently brought to light this issue, which affects many low-income tenants. Often, fees will appear on the monthly rent bill or other correspondence without any explanation, which leads many tenants to believe that they must pay these fees in order to stay in their housing, which is false. Rent-stabilized tenants deserve freedom from arbitrary and in some cases illegal charges that burden an already rent-burdened population in a city undergoing a housing crisis.

“As a result of unscrupulous practices by landlords who insert various non-rental fees into lease agreements and monthly rental bills, we have passed legislation that would put vital information on the legality of these fees into the hands of the tenants they’re targeted at. Recently, some landlords have been attempting to pressure tenants, who may not know their rights, into paying for various legal fees, late fees, and fees for background checks by putting those fees directly into the lease agreement and monthly rent bills. DHCR has called into question the legality of some of these fees, and has put out Fact Sheet #44 to help tenants know their rights. Landlords will no longer be able to bully tenants into paying for things that they are not obligated to pay for,” said Assemblyman Dinowitz. “It is my hope that the Governor will demonstrate his support of tenants’ rights by signing this into law.”

State Senator Marisol Alcántara said: “Rent-stabilized tenants have the right to know whether the fees their landlords charge are legal. This bill, which I urge the Governor to sign, will close a loophole that has allowed unscrupulous landlords to take advantage of their tenants. This will be especially helpful for low-income and immigrant tenants, who may be more unfamiliar with the state’s rent laws and who are at particular risk of tenant harassment such as the use of illegal fees.”