Cuomo says he'll sign major overhaul of rent regulations, tenant protections

By Michael Gormley

June 13, 2019

Originally published in Newsday

ALBANY — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Wednesday that he will sign a new bill to strengthen rent control laws that will protect more than 2 million tenants in a measure that could, for the first time, extend the decades-old New York City measure statewide.

“I will sign it,” Cuomo said, promising he wouldn’t require any amendments. “My point all along was I want the best tenant protections … I believe it is a step forward and I believe it is the best they can do.”

The bill agreed to by legislative leaders would:

Make the law “permanent,” ending the need to extend the measure every four to eight years, which often becomes a major fight that can be tied to unrelated measures.
No longer require that apartments be exempt from regulation if the rent rises to a certain level, becomes vacant, or the tenant earns $200,000 or more. Advocates say these provisions deregulated 300,000 apartments since 1994.
No longer allow landlords to raise rent as much as 20 percent when the unit becomes vacant.
Prohibit landlords from passing along increases in fuel costs.
Reduce rent increases to 2 percent, from 6 percent, in New York City; and to 2 percent, from 15 percent, in other counties.
Makes unlawful eviction a Class A misdemeanor.
Allows municipalities outside New York City with a vacancy rate of 5 percent or less to be governed by the rent regulation law.