On this rainy Tuesday we have come to report that Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed a bill declaring that a rent stabilized lease is a public benefit that is exempt from the reach of bankruptcy court proceedings. This decision was handed down in the Santiago v. Monteverde case where the court held that a rent-stabilized lease is a local public assistance benefit like SNAP.
On another note, the City Council Passed the LL152 Amendment. This new amendment grants owners the right to a six month COVID extension of the inspection period of gas piping systems in buildings in community districts 2, 5, 7, 13, and 18 in each borough. The new deadline is now June 30, 2022. This bill also extends the deadline to file for certifications of correction of any hazardous conditions that were identified in the inspection report.
More about the CONH:
According to an article published by the NY Post, Councilman Brad Lander wants to expand the Certificate of No Harassment program for five more years, plus a $5,000 incentive for tenants to claim a grievance. The article also states that HPD refuses to share the algorithm it uses to determine which buildings are covered by the program. Hundreds of buildings are on this list and HPD does not have to alert the property owner of this and there is also no easy way of challenging this. In addition to this the law does not define what counts as harassment. HPD is offering landlords a chance by making a commitment to charge rent below market value which would not be enough to cover the operating costs leaving smaller landlords at risk. Overall this will shrink the numbers of available units and will prevent improvements in many buildings.
