Landlords: We need big hikes

Landlords plan to ask for rent hikes as high as 7 percent Thursday when the Rent Guidelines Board meets to set this year’s preliminary increases for 1 million rent-stabilized apartments.

The Rent Stabilization Association, which represents 25,000 landlords, says it will request an increase of 4 percent for new one-year leases and 7 percent for two years.

There’s little chance the landlords will get what they want.

Last year they asked for 4 and 6 percent hikes — and ended up with 1.25 and 2 percent.

The final increases will be announced in June after public hearings.

The property owners say they’re due for bigger increases.

“Over the past five years, the operating costs of owners of rent-stabilized apartments have increased 16 percent, while the RGB has limited rent increases on a 1-year lease to a fraction of that, 2.25 percent, over that same period — including two consecutive rent freezes,” said RSA president Joseph Strasburg.

“It’s time for the RGB to stop advancing the political agenda of the city administration . . .”

Tenant advocates quickly rejected the landlords’ figures. “That’s totally ridiculous and everyone knows it — including the RSA. That is totally B.S.,” said Michael McKee, treasurer of Tenants PAC.

“For the last decade-- and-a-half, operating costs have been flat for landlords,” he added.

McKee praised Mayor de Blasio’s Rent Guidelines Board as being “much more reasonable and fair” to tenants than the one appointed by predecessor Mike Bloomberg.