By Eric Jankiewicz
Elected officials are in the process of working out a four-year framework to extend rules that protect rent-stabilized apartments.
The rent regulations at stake control how much rent can be increased for about 1 million apartments in New York City. The rent-stabilized regulations expired June 15 after the state Assembly and state Senate failed to pass a bill that would either extend the regulations or expand on them.
According to state Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), legislators were coming close to an agreement for a four-year extension. But he warned the details of the legislation have yet to be worked out.
“The details will tell us if we can approve something like that,” Addabbo said. And the details being worked out involve increasing the cap at which an apartment is decontrolled and no longer rent stabilized. Under the old laws, apartments that went above $2,500 were untethered if the income of the renters reached a certain level and moved to market rates. Republicans in the state Senate would most likely reject a large increase in the ceiling that an apartment needs to reach before leaving stabilization, according to Addabbo, and so legislators are working on a capital improvement project that would allow landlords to raise the amount on rent-stabilized apartments to make necessary upgrades and maintenance on buildings.
Addabbo expects legislators to work out these details throughout the day and into the early hours of Wednesday.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and elected officials came to an agreement June 18 for a five-day extension, which was retroactive. On Friday, lawmakers were once again unable to create a bill that was acceptable to everyone. And so lawmakers are making their way up to Albany for another legislative session with deadline looming nearby once again.
The city Rent Guidelines Board delayed a vote on rent levels for lease renewals until next week.
And while disagreement rules in the Capitol — echoing a national trend – the Assembly’s democrats held a closed-door meeting on Friday where they agreed to stand unified against any significant changes in rent laws, according to Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven).
Major changes were proposed by the Republican held State Senate, where a bill passed last week that included provisions to make tenants verify incomes and residency status, according to State Senator Leroy Comrie (D-Hollis). The Assembly rejected this bill.
“The Senate Republicans are trying to do as little as possible,” Comrie said just hours before Tuesday’s session began.
He said that the verification elements that Republicans advocate for are unnecessary since there are already “checks and balances” in place to check people’s income.
“They’re passing bills to try and get people who are already drowning in paperwork to fill out more things,” he said.
And as Comrie made his way up north, he canceled many community events this week to prepare for a long, hot week in Albany. Perhaps even a month, he thought.
“This is definitely impacting other commitments,” he said. “It’s unfortunately a reality. But there’s also an opportunity to pass more bills. Any additional day in Albany is an opportunity to get local bills passed.”
Some of the other bills he is trying to pass are tax breaks for small businesses and bills that would help senior citizens.
“There’s a very slim chance that something will be figured out but I don’t have a lot of faith,” Comrie said. “We might have something by the end of the month.”
Reach reporter Eric Jankiewicz by e-mail at ejank
