Bill Text: NY S09325 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Requires notice be provided to tenants prior to the beginning of work on a major capital improvement.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-13 - REFERRED TO HOUSING, CONSTRUCTION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT [S09325 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S09325-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          9325

                    IN SENATE

                                      May 13, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen. JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Housing, Construction  and
          Community Development

        AN  ACT  to  amend  the administrative code of the city of New York, the
          emergency tenant protection act of nineteen seventy-four and the emer-
          gency housing rent control law, in relation  to  requiring  notice  be
          provided  to tenants prior to the beginning of work on a major capital
          improvement

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Subparagraph (g) of paragraph 1 of subdivision g of section
     2  26-405 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as amended by
     3  section  27  of  part Q of chapter 39 of the laws of 2019, is amended to
     4  read as follows:
     5    (g) There has been since July first, nineteen hundred seventy, a major
     6  capital improvement essential for the  preservation  energy  efficiency,
     7  functionality,  or infrastructure of the entire building, improvement of
     8  the structure including heating, windows, plumbing and roofing but shall
     9  not be for operational costs or unnecessary cosmetic  improvements.  The
    10  temporary  increase  based  upon  a major capital improvement under this
    11  subparagraph for any order of the commissioner issued after  the  effec-
    12  tive date of [the] part K of chapter thirty-six of the laws of two thou-
    13  sand  nineteen  [that  amended  this subparagraph] shall be in an amount
    14  sufficient to amortize the cost of the  improvements  pursuant  to  this
    15  subparagraph  (g)  over  a twelve-year period for buildings with thirty-
    16  five or fewer units or a twelve and one-half year period  for  buildings
    17  with  more  than  thirty-five units, and shall be removed from the legal
    18  regulated rent thirty years from the date the increase became  effective
    19  inclusive  of  any  increases  granted by the applicable rent guidelines
    20  board. Temporary major capital improvement increases shall  be  collect-
    21  ible  prospectively  on the first day of the first month beginning sixty
    22  days from the date of mailing notice of approval  to  the  tenant.  Such
    23  notice  shall  disclose the total monthly increase in rent and the first
    24  month in which the  tenant  would  be  required  to  pay  the  temporary

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14871-01-4

        S. 9325                             2

     1  increase. An approval for a temporary major capital improvement increase
     2  shall  not  include retroactive payments. The collection of any increase
     3  shall not exceed two percent in any year from the effective date of  the
     4  order  granting  the increase over the rent set forth in the schedule of
     5  gross rents, with collectability of any dollar excess above said sum  to
     6  be  spread forward in similar increments and added to the rent as estab-
     7  lished or set in future years.  Upon vacancy, the landlord may  add  any
     8  remaining balance of the temporary major capital improvement increase to
     9  the  legal  regulated  rent.  Notwithstanding any other provision of the
    10  law, for any renewal lease commencing on or after  June  14,  2019,  the
    11  collection  of  any rent increases due to any major capital improvements
    12  approved on or after June 16, 2012 and before June 16,  2019  shall  not
    13  exceed  two  percent in any year for any tenant in occupancy on the date
    14  the major capital improvement was approved.  To be eligible for a tempo-
    15  rary rent increase based upon a major  capital  improvement  under  this
    16  subparagraph,  notice  shall be required to be provided to tenants prior
    17  to the beginning of work on such major capital improvement, or
    18    § 2. Paragraph 6 of subdivision c of section 26-511 of the administra-
    19  tive code of the city of New York, as separately amended by  section  12
    20  of  part  K  of chapter 36 and section 28 of part Q of chapter 39 of the
    21  laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
    22    (6) provides criteria whereby the commissioner may act  upon  applica-
    23  tions  by  owners  for  increases  in  excess  of the level of fair rent
    24  increase established under this law provided, however, that such  crite-
    25  ria  shall  provide  (a) as to hardship applications, for a finding that
    26  the level of fair rent increase is not sufficient to enable the owner to
    27  maintain approximately the same average annual net income  (which  shall
    28  be  computed  without regard to debt service, financing costs or manage-
    29  ment fees) for the three year period ending on or within six  months  of
    30  the  date  of  an application pursuant to such criteria as compared with
    31  annual net income, which prevailed on the average over the period  nine-
    32  teen  hundred  sixty-eight  through nineteen hundred seventy, or for the
    33  first three years of operation if the building was completed since nine-
    34  teen hundred sixty-eight or for the first three  fiscal  years  after  a
    35  transfer of title to a new owner provided the new owner can establish to
    36  the  satisfaction  of  the commissioner that he or she acquired title to
    37  the building as a result of a bona fide sale of the entire building  and
    38  that  the new owner is unable to obtain requisite records for the fiscal
    39  years nineteen hundred  sixty-eight  through  nineteen  hundred  seventy
    40  despite  diligent  efforts to obtain same from predecessors in title and
    41  further provided that the new owner can provide financial data  covering
    42  a  minimum  of  six  years under his or her continuous and uninterrupted
    43  operation of the building to meet the three year to three  year  compar-
    44  ative  test  periods  herein provided; and (b) as to completed building-
    45  wide major capital improvements, for a finding  that  such  improvements
    46  are deemed depreciable under the Internal Revenue Code and that the cost
    47  is  to  be amortized over a twelve-year period for a building with thir-
    48  ty-five or fewer housing accommodations, or a twelve  and  one-half-year
    49  period for a building with more than thirty-five housing accommodations,
    50  for  any  determination  issued by the division of housing and community
    51  renewal after the effective date of [the the] part K of chapter  thirty-
    52  nine  of the laws of two thousand nineteen [that amended this paragraph]
    53  and shall be removed from the legal regulated rent thirty years from the
    54  date the increase became effective inclusive of any increases granted by
    55  the applicable rent guidelines board. Temporary major  capital  improve-
    56  ment  increases  shall  be collectible prospectively on the first day of

        S. 9325                             3

     1  the first month beginning sixty days from the date of mailing notice  of
     2  approval  to  the  tenant.  Such notice shall disclose the total monthly
     3  increase in rent and the first  month  in  which  the  tenant  would  be
     4  required  to  pay  the  temporary  increase. An approval for a temporary
     5  major  capital  improvement  increase  shall  not  include   retroactive
     6  payments. The collection of any increase shall not exceed two percent in
     7  any year from the effective date of the order granting the increase over
     8  the  rent  set forth in the schedule of gross rents, with collectability
     9  of any dollar excess above said sum to  be  spread  forward  in  similar
    10  increments  and added to the rent as established or set in future years.
    11  Upon vacancy, the landlord may add any remaining balance of  the  tempo-
    12  rary  major  capital  improvement  increase to the legal regulated rent.
    13  Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, for  any  renewal  lease
    14  commencing  on  or  after  June  14,  2019,  the  collection of any rent
    15  increases due to any major capital improvements  approved  on  or  after
    16  June  16,  2012 and before June 16, 2019 shall not exceed two percent in
    17  any year for any tenant in occupancy  on  the  date  the  major  capital
    18  improvement  was approved or based upon cash purchase price exclusive of
    19  interest or service charges.   To  be  eligible  for  a  temporary  rent
    20  increase  based  upon  a major capital improvement under this paragraph,
    21  notice shall be required to be provided to tenants prior to  the  begin-
    22  ning of work on such major capital improvement. Where an application for
    23  a  temporary major capital improvement increase has been filed, a tenant
    24  shall have sixty days from the date of mailing of a notice of a proceed-
    25  ing in which to answer or reply.  The  state  division  of  housing  and
    26  community  renewal  shall provide any responding tenant with the reasons
    27  for the division's approval or denial of such application. Notwithstand-
    28  ing anything to the contrary  contained  herein,  no  hardship  increase
    29  granted pursuant to this paragraph shall, when added to the annual gross
    30  rents,  as  determined  by  the commissioner, exceed the sum of, (i) the
    31  annual operating expenses, (ii) an allowance for management services  as
    32  determined  by  the  commissioner,  (iii)  actual  annual  mortgage debt
    33  service (interest and amortization) on its  indebtedness  to  a  lending
    34  institution,  an  insurance  company,  a retirement fund or welfare fund
    35  which is operated under the supervision of the banking or insurance laws
    36  of the state of New York or the United States, and (iv) eight  and  one-
    37  half  percent  of  that portion of the fair market value of the property
    38  which exceeds the unpaid principal amount of the  mortgage  indebtedness
    39  referred  to  in subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph. Fair market value
    40  for the purposes of this paragraph shall be six times the  annual  gross
    41  rent.  The  collection  of  any  increase in the stabilized rent for any
    42  apartment pursuant to this paragraph shall not exceed six percent in any
    43  year from the effective date of the order granting the increase over the
    44  rent set forth in the schedule of gross rents,  with  collectability  of
    45  any  dollar excess above said sum to be spread forward in similar incre-
    46  ments and added to the stabilized rent as established or set  in  future
    47  years;
    48    § 3. Paragraph 3 of subdivision d of section 6 of section 4 of chapter
    49  576  of  the  laws of 1974, constituting the emergency tenant protection
    50  act of nineteen seventy-four, as amended by section  26  of  part  Q  of
    51  chapter 39 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
    52    (3)  there has been since January first, nineteen hundred seventy-four
    53  a major capital improvement essential for the preservation, energy effi-
    54  ciency,  functionality,  or  infrastructure  of  the  entire   building,
    55  improvement  of  the  structure including heating, windows, plumbing and
    56  roofing, but shall not be for operation costs  or  unnecessary  cosmetic

        S. 9325                             4

     1  improvements.  An  adjustment under this paragraph shall be in an amount
     2  sufficient to amortize the cost of the  improvements  pursuant  to  this
     3  paragraph  over  a twelve-year period for a building with thirty-five or
     4  fewer  housing  accommodations,  or  a  twelve and one-half period for a
     5  building with more than thirty-five housing accommodations and shall  be
     6  removed  from  the  legal  regulated rent thirty years from the date the
     7  increase became effective inclusive of  any  increases  granted  by  the
     8  applicable  rent  guidelines  board, for any determination issued by the
     9  division of housing and community renewal after the  effective  date  of
    10  the chapter of the laws of two thousand nineteen that amended this para-
    11  graph.  Temporary major capital improvement increases shall be collecta-
    12  ble prospectively on the first day of the first  month  beginning  sixty
    13  days  from  the  date of mailing notice of approval to the tenant.  Such
    14  notice shall disclose the total monthly increase in rent and  the  first
    15  month  in  which  the  tenant  would  be  required  to pay the temporary
    16  increase. An approval for a temporary major capital improvement increase
    17  shall not include retroactive payments. The collection of  any  increase
    18  shall  not exceed two percent in any year from the effective date of the
    19  order granting the increase over the rent set forth in the  schedule  of
    20  gross  rents, with collectability of any dollar excess above said sum to
    21  be spread forward in similar increments and added to the rent as  estab-
    22  lished  or  set in future years.  Upon vacancy, the landlord may add any
    23  remaining balance of the temporary major capital improvement increase to
    24  the legal regulated rent. Notwithstanding any  other  provision  of  the
    25  law, the collection of any rent increases for any renewal lease commenc-
    26  ing  on  or  after  June 14, 2019, due to any major capital improvements
    27  approved on or after June 16, 2012 and before June 16,  2019  shall  not
    28  exceed  two  percent in any year for any tenant in occupancy on the date
    29  the major capital improvement was approved. To be eligible for a  tempo-
    30  rary  rent  increase  based  upon a major capital improvement under this
    31  paragraph, notice shall be required to be provided to tenants  prior  to
    32  the beginning of work on such major capital improvement, or
    33    §  4. Subparagraph 7 of the second undesignated paragraph of paragraph
    34  (a) of subdivision 4 of section 4 of chapter 274 of the  laws  of  1946,
    35  constituting  the  emergency  housing  rent  control  law, as separately
    36  amended by section 25 of part Q of chapter 39 and section 14 of  part  K
    37  of chapter 36 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
    38    (7)  there has been since March first, nineteen hundred fifty, a major
    39  capital improvement essential for the preservation,  energy  efficiency,
    40  functionality,  or infrastructure of the entire building, improvement of
    41  the structure including heating,  windows,  plumbing  and  roofing,  but
    42  shall not be for operational costs or unnecessary cosmetic improvements;
    43  which  for any order of the commissioner issued after the effective date
    44  of [the] part K of chapter thirty-six of the laws of two thousand  nine-
    45  teen [that amended this paragraph] the cost of such improvement shall be
    46  amortized  over  a  twelve-year period for buildings with thirty-five or
    47  fewer units or a twelve and one-half year period for buildings with more
    48  than thirty-five units, and shall be removed from  the  legal  regulated
    49  rent  thirty years from the date the increase became effective inclusive
    50  of any increases granted by the applicable rent guidelines board. Tempo-
    51  rary major capital improvement increases shall be  collectible  prospec-
    52  tively on the first day of the first month beginning sixty days from the
    53  date  of  mailing  notice  of  approval to the tenant. Such notice shall
    54  disclose the total monthly increase in rent and the first month in which
    55  the tenant would be required to pay the temporary increase. An  approval
    56  for  a  temporary  major  capital improvement increase shall not include

        S. 9325                             5

     1  retroactive payments. The collection of any increase  shall  not  exceed
     2  two  percent  in  any year from the effective date of the order granting
     3  the increase over the rent set forth in the  schedule  of  gross  rents,
     4  with  collectability  of  any  dollar excess above said sum to be spread
     5  forward in similar increments and added to the rent  as  established  or
     6  set  in  future years.  Upon vacancy, the landlord may add any remaining
     7  balance of the temporary major capital improvement increase to the legal
     8  regulated rent. Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, for  any
     9  renewal  lease  commencing  on or after June 14, 2019, the collection of
    10  any rent increases due to any major capital improvements approved on  or
    11  after  June  16,  2012  and  before  June  16, 2019 shall not exceed two
    12  percent in any year for any tenant in occupancy on the  date  the  major
    13  capital  improvement was approved; provided, however, to be eligible for
    14  a temporary rent increase based upon a major capital  improvement  under
    15  this  subparagraph,  notice  shall be required to be provided to tenants
    16  prior to the beginning  of  work  on  such  major  capital  improvement;
    17  provided,  however,  where  an application for a temporary major capital
    18  improvement increase has been filed, a tenant shall have sixty days from
    19  the date of mailing of a notice of a proceeding in which  to  answer  or
    20  reply. The state division of housing and community renewal shall provide
    21  any  responding  tenant  with the reasons for the division's approval or
    22  denial of such application; or
    23    § 5. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
    24  have become a law; provided that:
    25    (a)  the  amendments  to section 26-405 of the city rent and rehabili-
    26  tation law made by section one of this act shall remain  in  full  force
    27  and effect only as long as the public emergency requiring the regulation
    28  and control of residential rents and evictions continues, as provided in
    29  subdivision  3  of section 1 of the local emergency housing rent control
    30  act; and
    31    (b) the amendments to section 26-511 of chapter 4 of title 26  of  the
    32  administrative  code of the city of New York made by section two of this
    33  act shall expire on the same date as such  law  expires  and  shall  not
    34  affect  the  expiration  of such law as provided under section 26-520 of
    35  such law.
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