Soon, there may be a law that would alert tenants if they’re about to rent an illegally converted apartment — before they sign the lease.
Yesterday, the NY State Assembly passed a bill authored by southern Brooklyn Assemblymember Pamela Harris, that would require landlords to provide tenants with valid certificates of occupancy. (The state legislative session ended last night).
“By providing valid certificates of occupancy, tenants can rest assured before signing a lease or rental agreement that the housing is safe and up-to-code,” read a statement from Harris’ office.
After many town halls and public meetings packed with angry Brooklynites, City Council unanimously passed a bill last month to enforce fines of landlords who illegally converted their buildings. The bill, Int 1218, requires building owners to pay a $15,000 violation per three or more units above legally allowed amount. If unpaid, the fine would be subject to a lien sale on the property.
Harris’ proposed bill, on the other hand, requires owners to show a valid certificate of occupancy to tenants, before tenants sign the lease.
The proposed bill will now be delivered to Governor Cuomo, where he would have the option to sign or veto. You can track the status here.
11 comments:
And if there's no lease?
And how will tenants know
Most can't even read English
Just another money grab
Pass all the laws you want, it means nothing unless there is enforcement. My neighborhood slumlord has 3 violations going back 10 years, the last classified as hazardous, but nothing happens. The violations total almost $4,000 and yet they were " written off" according to the DOB website. Same cellar apartment is still occupied. I quess the City will wait for the cellar dwellers to die in a fire and then scratch their heads wundering how this slipped through the cracks.
This is a meaningless bill: the other comments say it all.
and what if they still sign the lease -- are they penalized for renting a known illegal dwelling?
the mayor wants to legalize cellar dwellers so he can get more taxes out of us.
we are going down the road of Chicago - dead broke
pensions are coming due and will eat the city budget alive
Since 2014, the city has forked over more to its pension funds than it has for building and repairing schools, parks, bridges and, yes, subways — combined.
They want to have it both ways
They BS you by passing laws and giving you 311 to call, but since they are not culpable personally, things continue unabated.
The only way to change things is to go after your local politicians and community board and Queens weeklies.
If you say you cannot beat city hall then STFU!
Yes,and Cuomo will allow use of valid C of Os as proof of residency for Voting
O WAIT?
Nearly every one-family home on my block of attached houses has an illegal cellar apartment rented out to large families with children, including babies. Garages are turned into rooms. Do you think they sign lease agreements? Oh, that's not all, the homeowners also illegally convert the 2nd floor of these one-family homes into an apartment while they are crammed into the space on the first floor where they illegally install bathrooms. One house like this has 16 people in it. It's CRAZY, DIRTY.....FIRE HAZZARD.
I hate to say it, but Community Boards are essentially ball-less wonders. They have NO power - they can suggest budgets, they can provide input to the BSA and City Planning, and they can supply the State Liquor Authority with recommendations on licenses.
That said, there is the power of the "bully pulpit," which the general managers know how to use.
What about all the houses that were built before 1938? Unless there was a change made to the dwelling that required a new C of O, there is none to show.
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