State lawmakers greatly expand rent protections

ALBANY, N.Y. — More than 1 million apartment dwellers in and around New York City are getting new protections against big rent increases under a landmark tenants’ rights bill.

The measure, which passed the Democrat-controlled Senate and Assembly on Friday and was immediately signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, strengthens the existing rent stabilization and rent control rules that govern rental increases and evictions in many older, multiunit apartments.

It also makes the rules permanent, eliminating the need for leaders in Albany to regularly renew the law, which was set to expire Saturday.

Lawmakers voted to extend several protections throughout the state, including one prohibiting security deposits of more than one month’s rent. The law will also authorize cities throughout the state to opt into rent stabilization rules.

The law is a big victory for tenants, housing advocates and many progressive groups that say high rents in New York City are forcing out many lower and middle-class residents. It’s also a stunning defeat for the New York City real estate industry, long one of the most politically powerful forces in the state Capitol.

“Today the tenants will win,” said Sen. Zellnor Myrie, D-Brooklyn, who was raised in a rent stabilized apartment. “We have been losing in this building for decades, but today, the tenants will win.”

Landlords have warned that apartments may fall into disrepair if owners aren’t allowed to raise the rent high enough to cover the cost of improvements. The Partnership for New York City, a leading business advocacy organization, said the changes could backfire.

“This rent reform package will inevitably lead to the same loss of decent, middleclass housing that we experienced in the 1970s and 1980s,” the group said in a statement. “It is not enough to maintain affordability if it means tenants are living in terrible conditions.”

The rent stabilization and control laws were written decades ago to preserve affordable housing amid the post-war boom. Since then, the rules have slowly been eroded and thousands of units have been taken out of stabilization.

The changes approved Friday will eliminate a landlord’s ability to take a unit out of the system based on a tenant’s income and further restrict landlords’ abilities to justify rent increases through improvements and upgrades.

Passage was made possible last fall when Democrats took control of the state Senate.

David Klepper is an Associated Press writer.

Hans Pennink / Associated Press Jumaane Williams (center), public advocate for New York City, rallies with tenants on June 4 at the Capitol in Albany for lawmakers to pass legislation strengthening rent control laws.