S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5882
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               March 1, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. JOYNER, SIMON -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Housing
 
 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 prohibiting the adjust-
   ment  of  maximum  allowable  rent where any modification, increase or
   improvement is made to accommodate the needs of a disabled tenant
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subparagraph (e) of paragraph 1 of subdivision g of section
 26-405 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as amended by
 section  20  of  part Q of chapter 39 of the laws of 2019, is amended to
 read as follows:
   (e) The landlord and tenant  by  mutual  voluntary  written  agreement
 demonstrating  informed  consent  agree  to  a  substantial  increase or
 decrease in dwelling space or a  change  in  furniture,  furnishings  or
 equipment  provided  in  the housing accommodations. An adjustment under
 this subparagraph shall be equal to one-one hundred sixty-eighth, in the
 case of a building with thirty-five or fewer housing  accommodations  or
 one-one hundred eightieth in the case of a building with more than thir-
 ty-five  housing  accommodations  where  such temporary adjustment takes
 effect on or after the effective date of [the] chapter THIRTY-SIX of the
 laws of two thousand nineteen that amended  this  subparagraph,  of  the
 total  actual cost incurred by the landlord in providing such reasonable
 and verifiable modification or increase in  dwelling  space,  furniture,
 furnishings,  or  equipment,  including  the  cost  of  installation but
 excluding finance charges and any costs  that  exceed  reasonable  costs
 established  by  rules  and  regulations  promulgated by the division of
 housing and community renewal. Such rules and regulations shall include:
 (i) requirements for work to be done by licensed contractors and prohib-
 it common ownership between the landlord and the contractor  or  vendor;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD04163-01-1

 A. 5882                             2
 
 and  (ii) a requirement that the owner resolve within the dwelling space
 all outstanding hazardous or immediately  hazardous  violations  of  the
 Uniform  Fire Prevention and Building Code (Uniform Code), New York City
 Fire  Code,  or New York City Building and Housing Maintenance Codes, if
 applicable. Provided further that an owner who is  entitled  to  a  rent
 increase  pursuant  to  this  subparagraph  shall  not  be entitled to a
 further rent increase based upon the installation of similar  equipment,
 or  new  furniture  or  furnishings  within  the useful life of such new
 equipment, or new furniture or furnishings. Provided  further  that  the
 recoverable  costs  incurred  by the landlord, pursuant to this subpara-
 graph shall be limited to an aggregate cost of fifteen thousand  dollars
 that may be expended on no more than three separate individual apartment
 improvements  in a fifteen year period beginning with the first individ-
 ual apartment improvement on or  after  June  fourteenth,  two  thousand
 nineteen.  Provided  further  that increases to the legal regulated rent
 pursuant to this subparagraph shall be removed from the legal  regulated
 rent  thirty years from the date the increase became effective inclusive
 of any increases granted by the applicable rent  guidelines  board.  The
 owner  shall  give  written  notice  to the city rent agency of any such
 temporary adjustment pursuant to this subparagraph;  PROVIDED,  HOWEVER,
 AN  OWNER  SHALL  NOT  BE  ENTITLED  TO  ANY ADJUSTMENT PURSUANT TO THIS
 SUBPARAGRAPH WHERE ANY  MODIFICATION  OR  INCREASE  IN  DWELLING  SPACE,
 SERVICES, FURNITURE, FURNISHINGS OR EQUIPMENT IS MADE TO ACCOMMODATE THE
 NEEDS  OF  A  DISABLED TENANT. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SUBPARAGRAPH, "DISA-
 BLED" MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL (I) WITH  A  PHYSICAL  OR  MENTAL  IMPAIRMENT,
 INCLUDING,  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO,  THOSE  OF NEUROLOGICAL, EMOTIONAL OR
 SENSORY ORGANS, WHICH SUBSTANTIALLY LIMITS ONE OR MORE OF  THE  INDIVID-
 UAL'S  MAJOR LIFE ACTIVITIES, AND (II) WHO IS REGARDED AS HAVING SUCH AN
 IMPAIRMENT AS CERTIFIED BY A LICENSED PHYSICIAN OF THIS STATE; or
   § 2. Paragraph 13 of subdivision c of section 26-511 of  the  adminis-
 trative code of the city of New York, as amended by section 19 of part Q
 of chapter 39 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
   (13) provides that an owner is entitled to a rent increase where there
 has  been  a  substantial modification or increase of dwelling space, or
 installation of new  equipment  or  improvements  or  new  furniture  or
 furnishings provided in or to a tenant's housing accommodation, on writ-
 ten  informed  tenant  consent  to  the  rent increase. In the case of a
 vacant housing accommodation, tenant consent shall not be required.  The
 temporary  increase in the legal regulated rent for the affected housing
 accommodation shall be one-one hundred sixty-eighth, in the  case  of  a
 building  with  thirty-five  or  fewer housing accommodations or one-one
 hundred eightieth in the case of a building with more  than  thirty-five
 housing  accommodations where such increase takes effect on or after the
 effective date of [the] chapter THIRTY-SIX of the laws of  two  thousand
 nineteen  that amended this paragraph, of the total actual cost incurred
 by the landlord in providing such reasonable and verifiable modification
 or increase in dwelling space,  furniture,  furnishings,  or  equipment,
 including the cost of installation but excluding finance charges and any
 costs  that exceed reasonable costs established by rules and regulations
 promulgated by the division of housing and community renewal. Such rules
 and regulations shall include: (i) requirements for work to be  done  by
 licensed  contractors and prohibit common ownership between the landlord
 and the contractor or vendor; and (ii)  a  requirement  that  the  owner
 resolve  within  the  dwelling  space all outstanding hazardous or imme-
 diately hazardous violations of the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building
 Code (Uniform Code), New York City Fire Code, or New York City  Building

 A. 5882                             3
 
 and  Housing  Maintenance Codes, if applicable. Provided further that an
 owner who is entitled to a rent  increase  pursuant  to  this  paragraph
 shall  not be entitled to a further rent increase based upon the instal-
 lation  of similar equipment, or new furniture or furnishings within the
 useful life of such new equipment,  or  new  furniture  or  furnishings.
 Provided  further  that  the recoverable costs incurred by the landlord,
 pursuant to this paragraph, shall be limited to  an  aggregate  cost  of
 fifteen  thousand  dollars  that  may  be expended on no more than three
 separate individual apartment improvements  in  a  fifteen  year  period
 beginning  with  the  first individual apartment improvement on or after
 June fourteenth, two thousand nineteen. Provided further that  increases
 to  the legal regulated rent pursuant to this paragraph shall be removed
 from the legal regulated rent thirty years from the  date  the  increase
 became  effective  inclusive  of any increases granted by the applicable
 rent guidelines board.  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, AN OWNER SHALL NOT  BE  ENTI-
 TLED TO ANY RENT INCREASE PURSUANT TO THIS PARAGRAPH WHERE ANY MODIFICA-
 TION,  INCREASE  OR  IMPROVEMENT IN DWELLING SPACE, SERVICES, FURNITURE,
 FURNISHINGS OR EQUIPMENT IS MADE TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEEDS OF A  DISABLED
 TENANT.  FOR  PURPOSES OF THIS PARAGRAPH, "DISABLED" MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL
 (I) WITH A PHYSICAL OR MENTAL IMPAIRMENT, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
 THOSE OF NEUROLOGICAL, EMOTIONAL OR SENSORY ORGANS, WHICH  SUBSTANTIALLY
 LIMITS  ONE  OR MORE OF THE INDIVIDUAL'S MAJOR LIFE ACTIVITIES, AND (II)
 WHO IS REGARDED AS HAVING SUCH AN IMPAIRMENT AS CERTIFIED BY A  LICENSED
 PHYSICIAN OF THIS STATE.
   § 3. Paragraph 1 of subdivision d of section 6 of section 4 of chapter
 576  of  the  laws of 1974, constituting the emergency tenant protection
 act of nineteen seventy-four, as amended by section  18  of  part  Q  of
 chapter 39 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
   (1)  there has been a substantial modification or increase of dwelling
 space, or installation of new equipment or improvements or new furniture
 or furnishings, provided in or to a tenant's housing  accommodation,  on
 written  informed  tenant consent to the rent increase. In the case of a
 vacant housing accommodation, tenant consent shall not be required.  The
 temporary  increase in the legal regulated rent for the affected housing
 accommodation shall be one-one hundred sixty-eighth, in the  case  of  a
 building  with  thirty-five  or  fewer housing accommodations or one-one
 hundred eightieth in the case of a building with more  than  thirty-five
 housing  accommodations where such increase takes effect on or after the
 effective date of [the] chapter THIRTY-SIX of the laws of  two  thousand
 nineteen  that amended this paragraph, of the total actual cost incurred
 by the landlord up to fifteen thousand dollars in providing such reason-
 able and verifiable modification or increase in dwelling  space,  furni-
 ture,  furnishings, or equipment, including the cost of installation but
 excluding finance charges and any costs  that  exceed  reasonable  costs
 established  by  rules  and  regulations  promulgated by the division of
 housing and community renewal. Such rules and regulations shall include:
 (i) requirements for work to be  done  by  licensed  contractors  and  a
 prohibition  on common ownership between the landlord and the contractor
 or vendor; and (ii) a requirement that  the  owner  resolve  within  the
 dwelling  space  all  outstanding  hazardous  or  immediately  hazardous
 violations of the Uniform Fire Prevention  and  Building  Code  (Uniform
 Code),  New  York  City Fire Code, or New York City Building and Housing
 Maintenance Codes, if applicable. Provided further that an owner who  is
 entitled  to  a  rent  increase  pursuant to this paragraph shall not be
 entitled to a further rent increase based upon the installation of simi-
 lar equipment, or new furniture or furnishings within the useful life of

 A. 5882                             4
 
 such new equipment, or new furniture or  furnishings.  Provided  further
 that  the  recoverable  costs incurred by the landlord, pursuant to this
 paragraph, shall be limited to an aggregate  cost  of  fifteen  thousand
 dollars  that  may be expended on no more than three separate individual
 apartment improvements in a fifteen year period beginning with the first
 individual apartment improvement on or after June fourteenth, two  thou-
 sand  nineteen.  Provided  further that increases to the legal regulated
 rent pursuant to this paragraph shall be removed from  the  legal  regu-
 lated  rent  thirty  years  from  the date the increase became effective
 inclusive of any increases granted by  the  applicable  rent  guidelines
 board.    PROVIDED,  HOWEVER, AN OWNER SHALL NOT BE ENTITLED TO ANY RENT
 INCREASE PURSUANT TO THIS PARAGRAPH WHERE ANY MODIFICATION, INCREASE  OR
 IMPROVEMENT  IN  DWELLING  SPACE,  SERVICES,  FURNITURE,  FURNISHINGS OR
 EQUIPMENT IS MADE TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEEDS OF  A  DISABLED  TENANT.  FOR
 PURPOSES  OF  THIS  PARAGRAPH, "DISABLED" MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL (I) WITH A
 PHYSICAL OR MENTAL IMPAIRMENT, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,  THOSE  OF
 NEUROLOGICAL,  EMOTIONAL  OR  SENSORY ORGANS, WHICH SUBSTANTIALLY LIMITS
 ONE OR MORE OF THE INDIVIDUAL'S MAJOR LIFE ACTIVITIES, AND (II)  WHO  IS
 REGARDED  AS HAVING SUCH AN IMPAIRMENT AS CERTIFIED BY A LICENSED PHYSI-
 CIAN OF THIS STATE.
   § 4. Subparagraph 5 of the second undesignated paragraph of  paragraph
 (a)  of  subdivision  4 of section 4 of chapter 274 of the laws of 1946,
 constituting the emergency housing  rent  control  law,  as  amended  by
 section  36  of  part Q of chapter 39 of the laws of 2019, is amended to
 read as follows:
   (5) the landlord and  tenant  by  mutual  voluntary  written  informed
 agreement agree to a substantial increase or decrease in dwelling space,
 furniture,  furnishings  or  equipment  provided in the housing accommo-
 dations; provided that an owner shall be entitled  to  a  rent  increase
 where  there has been a substantial modification or increase of dwelling
 space, or installation of new equipment or improvements or new furniture
 or furnishings provided in or to a tenant's housing  accommodation.  The
 temporary increase in the maximum rent for the affected housing accommo-
 dation  shall be one-one hundred sixty-eighth, in the case of a building
 with thirty-five or fewer housing  accommodations,  or  one-one  hundred
 eightieth,  in the case of a building with more than thirty-five housing
 accommodations where such increase takes effect on or after  the  effec-
 tive date of [the] chapter THIRTY-NINE of the laws of two thousand nine-
 teen  that  amended this subparagraph, of the total actual cost incurred
 by the landlord up to fifteen thousand dollars in providing such reason-
 able and verifiable modification or increase in dwelling  space,  furni-
 ture,  furnishings, or equipment, including the cost of installation but
 excluding finance charges and any costs  that  exceed  reasonable  costs
 established  by  rules  and  regulations  promulgated by the division of
 housing and community renewal. Such rules and regulations shall include:
 (i) requirements for work to be  done  by  licensed  contractors  and  a
 prohibition  on common ownership between the landlord and the contractor
 or vendor; and (ii) a requirement that  the  owner  resolve  within  the
 dwelling  space  all  outstanding  hazardous  or  immediately  hazardous
 violations of the uniform fire prevention  and  building  code  (Uniform
 Code),  New  York  city fire code, or New York city building and housing
 maintenance codes, if applicable. Provided further that an owner who  is
 entitled  to  a rent increase pursuant to this clause shall not be enti-
 tled to a further rent increase based upon the installation  of  similar
 equipment,  or  new  furniture  or furnishings within the useful life of
 such new equipment, or new furniture or  furnishings.  Provided  further

 A. 5882                             5
 
 that  the  recoverable  costs incurred by the landlord, pursuant to this
 subparagraph, shall be limited to an aggregate cost of fifteen  thousand
 dollars  that  may be expended on no more than three separate individual
 apartment improvements in a fifteen year period beginning with the first
 individual  apartment improvement on or after June fourteenth, two thou-
 sand nineteen. Provided further that increases to  the  legal  regulated
 rent  pursuant  to  this paragraph shall be removed from the legal regu-
 lated rent thirty years from the  date  the  increase  became  effective
 inclusive  of  any  increases  granted by the applicable rent guidelines
 board. The owner shall give written notice to the commission of any such
 adjustment pursuant to this clause; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,  AN  OWNER  SHALL
 NOT  BE  ENTITLED  TO  ANY  ADJUSTMENT PURSUANT TO THIS CLAUSE WHERE ANY
 MODIFICATION, IMPROVEMENT  OR  INCREASE  IN  DWELLING  SPACE,  SERVICES,
 FURNITURE,  FURNISHINGS OR EQUIPMENT IS MADE TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEEDS OF
 A DISABLED TENANT. FOR PURPOSES OF  THIS  CLAUSE,  "DISABLED"  MEANS  AN
 INDIVIDUAL  (I) WITH A PHYSICAL OR MENTAL IMPAIRMENT, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
 LIMITED TO, THOSE OF NEUROLOGICAL, EMOTIONAL OR  SENSORY  ORGANS,  WHICH
 SUBSTANTIALLY  LIMITS  ONE OR MORE OF THE INDIVIDUAL'S MAJOR LIFE ACTIV-
 ITIES, AND (II) WHO IS REGARDED AS HAVING SUCH AN IMPAIRMENT  AS  CERTI-
 FIED BY A LICENSED PHYSICIAN OF THIS STATE; or
   § 5. This act shall take effect immediately; provided that:
   (a)  the  amendments  to section 26-405 of the city rent and rehabili-
 tation law made by section one of this act shall remain  in  full  force
 and effect only as long as the public emergency requiring the regulation
 and control of residential rents and evictions continues, as provided in
 subdivision  3  of section 1 of the local emergency housing rent control
 act; and
   (b) the amendments made to section 26-511 of chapter 4 of title 26  of
 the  administrative  code of the city of New York made by section two of
 this act shall expire on the same date as such law expires and shall not
 affect the expiration of such law as provided under  section  26-520  of
 such law.