Bill Text: NY A00690 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires non-preferential opportunity for use of amenities in certain buildings and apartments.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - referred to codes [A00690 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A00690-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                           690
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                       (Prefiled)
                                     January 9, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A. L. ROSENTHAL, DINOWITZ, M. G. MILLER, MOSLEY,
          COOK -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. GLICK, RIVERA -- read once  and
          referred to the Committee on Housing
        AN  ACT  to amend the real property law, in relation to non-preferential
          opportunity for use of amenities in certain buildings and apartments
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1.  The  real property law is amended by adding a new section
     2  235-h to read as follows:
     3    § 235-h. Use of amenities.  1. Any rental tenant must be provided with
     4  the opportunity to use amenities commonly accessible to other tenants of
     5  the multiple dwelling and not unique to an individual  unit,  including,
     6  but not limited to: pools, fitness centers, storage spaces, parking, and
     7  roofs  or  gardens  accessible  to  building  tenants,  in  buildings or
     8  complexes where  such  amenities  exist,  provided,  however,  that  the
     9  provisions  of  this section shall apply only to multiple dwellings with
    10  six or more units.
    11    2. An owner may charge a fee to rental tenants for  use  of  amenities
    12  provided  that  such  fee  is  reasonable and not structured in a manner
    13  meant to be prohibitive to such tenants which might  normally  not  have
    14  access  to  such amenities as part of their rental agreements, provided,
    15  however, that such fee shall not become part of  the  rent.  Nothing  in
    16  this section shall prohibit any owner from promulgating uniformly appli-
    17  cable  rules  on the use of amenities through systems, including but not
    18  limited to: sign-up  sheets,  waiting  lists,  or  lotteries,  provided,
    19  however  that  no  tenant  shall be required to use or pay a fee for any
    20  amenity as a condition of the rental of their residential unit.
    21    3. In cases where the use of amenities by  all  occupants  is  denied,
    22  such  denial  shall  not  provide  the  basis for a rent reduction order
    23  pursuant to section 26-405 or 26-509 of the administrative code  of  the
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00534-01-9
        A. 690                              2
     1  city  of New York, unless use of the amenities was historically provided
     2  or is a required service. An owner may change or completely  remove  any
     3  amenity  pursuant  to  subdivision  one  of  this  section without being
     4  subject to a claim of diminution of services.
     5    4.  An  owner  of  a building or complex that is found in violation of
     6  subdivision one of this section is punishable by a fine  not  to  exceed
     7  two  thousand  dollars.  Prior  to  the application of any penalties set
     8  forth in this section, an owner found to be in violation of this section
     9  shall be given thirty days from the date of receiving  such  finding  to
    10  cure the violating condition or conditions.
    11    5.  The commissioner of housing preservation and development in cities
    12  having a population of one million or more or the commissioner of  homes
    13  and  community renewal are hereby directed to promulgate rules and regu-
    14  lations to effectuate the provisions of this section, including but  not
    15  limited to:
    16    (a) Enforcement mechanism of provisions in this section;
    17    (b)  Creating  a  system  of  receiving  and  investigating complaints
    18  regarding violations of this section, including a system on how an owner
    19  can cure such violations; and
    20    (c) System of notification for an owner to be aware of  a  finding  of
    21  violations and what will be the enforcement mechanisms.
    22    6.  Any penalty assessed for the violation of any of the provisions of
    23  this section shall be payable to the commissioner of  housing  preserva-
    24  tion  and development if the violation occurred in a city having a popu-
    25  lation of one million or more, or the commissioner of homes and communi-
    26  ty renewal if it did not.
    27    § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day  after  it  shall
    28  have become a law.