Rent Control Rally Urges Protection For Tenants

NEW YORK, NY – A rally aimed at overhauling the way landlords can raise rates for rent-controlled tenants was held on the Upper West Side Wednesday, just weeks before the state's current rent laws are set to expire.

Attendees included Assembly Member Linda B. Rosenthal, New York State Senator Brian Benjamin, affordable housing advocates from Housing Conservation Coordinators, Goddard Riverside, Tenants and Neighbors, the Met Council on Housing and dozens of rent controlled tenants.

Held at Verdi Square Park on 72nd and Broadway, the rally to #SaveRentControl aimed to back the Rent Control Relief Bill, sponsored by Rosenthal and Benjamin and designed to reform the way rent increases are calculated for rent-controlled tenants, and bring them in line with rent stabilization increases.

The distinction between rent controlled apartments and rent stabilized apartments was a major point of emphasis during the rally. According to a study done by the Furman Center, only about 2% of New York rental units are controlled, whereas nearly 50% of of units are stabilized.

Rent control generally involves apartments built before 1947 and occupied by the same family since at least 1971. Rent stabilization is found in buildings built before 1974 which have more than six rental units.

Much of the focus had to do with the 7.5% annual rent increases that landlords have imposed on the rent-controlled population in New York City. If you are in a rent stabilized apartment, your landlord can only increase your rent by a percentage determined by the Rent Guidelines Board each year.

According to Rosenthal, in the 1970s 600,000 rent-controlled housing options existed in NYC, today there are just under 22,000 left. The majority are occupied by senior citizens.

"Rent control is something we've been trying for years. Because those apartments are occupied by seniors, they can't afford this extremely onerous 7.5% increase," Rosenthal told Patch on the importance of the rally. "This is showing the muscle of the rent control movement, as you can see they are all elderly. They can't afford to pay more rent. So this is really a show of force for the rent controlled tenants."

"We all know that you face constant harassment from your landlords, in what can be described as an unrelenting crusade to push you out of your apartments. You are demonstrating incredible courage just by being here," Rosenthal told attendees.

"So, this is about fundamental fairness. Fairness to our seniors who have worked so hard, who have played by the rules, raised families, worked hard to make this country what it is, and deserve to live and retire with dignity and respect," said Benjamin. "It is important that you know that you have two champions and fighters in the Assembly and Senate, and with you behind us we will get this done, and we will get it done this year."

According to information provided by Rosenthal's office, the median income for rent controlled tenants is $28,000 dollars a year.

Robin Daviginon, a current rent-controlled tenant, said at the rally:"Very often we hear about apartments as units. I would like to say our apartments are not units. I don't even refer to it as an apartment. I talk about my home. I raised a child there."

The A167 Bill is part of a broader package of tenants protection legislation looking to get passed in Albany by affordable housing advocates this legislative period.

The full set of bills include:

• Reform "Preferential Rent" (S2845/A4349) (Krueger/Cymbrowitz): Requires that preferential rent leases last for the duration of the tenancy.
• End "Vacancy Decontrol" (S2591/A1198) (Stewart-Cousins/Rosenthal) : Repeals vacancy decontrol and re-regulates deregulated apartments that rent for less under $5,000 in NYC and $3,5000 in suburbs.
• Eliminate the "Vacancy Bonus" (S185/A2351) (Serrano/Pichardo): Eliminates the 20% bonus on "legal rent" landlords may add to legal rent when an apartment changes hands.
• Eliminate Rent Hikes Caused by Major Capital Improvements (S3693/A6322) (Gianaris/Barnwell): Eliminates landlords' ability to pass the cost of necessary building rapairs onto renters.
• Stop Harassment and Deregulation Caused by Individual Apartment Improvement Increases (S3770/A06465) (Kavanagh/Richardson): When apartments are vacant, landlords often make cosmetic repairs in order to raise the rent and reach the deregulation threshold. This will would eliminate that.
• Reform the Four Year Rule (S4169/A5251) (Myrie/Dinowitz): While tenants in rent stabilized apartments are able to challenge rent increases, thanks to the "four year rule," they are limited in their ability to fight older, but often fraudulent, "legal" rents.
• Expand the Emergency Tenant Protection Act (S5040/A7046) (Breslin/Cahill): Only New York City and the surrounding counties can opt into rent regulation. This is not fair. Localities should decide for themselves whether or not they want to opt into a system to protect tenants. This bill gives all places in New York State the option to decide themselves.
• Good Cause Eviction (S2892/A5030) (Salazar/Hunter): Gives every tenant in New York State the right to a renewal lease with fair terms for the landlord. Tenants may still be evicted for "good cause."
• Rent Control Relief (S299/A167) (Benjamin/Rosenthal): Brings "rent control" increases in line with "rent stabilization" increases.