Requires landlords and property managers of public and private multifamily buildings in cities with a population of a million or more to provide notice to tenants on proper protocol for recycling including information on materials that are acceptable; requires the division of sanitation to develop an example notice and make it available on its website for use by landlords and property managers.
Summary
A08937 would require landlords and property managers of public and private multifamily buildings in cities with a population of one million or more to provide tenants with a recycling notice. The notice must be given annually and when a tenant signs or renews a lease, and it is intended to educate tenants about items that must be separated from regular trash under state or local recycling rules. The bill directs the Division of Housing and Community Renewal to develop the notice, which must include information on acceptable recyclable materials, organic waste, proper separation procedures, and resources for tenant questions, including a link to the agency’s recycling and zero-waste webpage.
The bill also requires the agency to prepare an example notice and make it available online for landlords and property managers to download and distribute. The notice must include space for building owners or their representatives to tell tenants where recycling materials should be placed within the building or on the premises. The bill defines “tenant” broadly to include occupants who regularly reside in a dwelling unit, even if they are not named on the lease. The act would take effect 30 days after becoming law.
Impact
This bill would add a new section to the Real Property Law, creating a landlord notice requirement tied to recycling education in large-city multifamily housing. It would impose an administrative duty on the Division of Housing and Community Renewal to create standardized recycling guidance and an example notice, while requiring covered landlords and property managers to distribute that notice to tenants. The practical effect would be to expand tenant-facing recycling information in buildings subject to the law and to formalize how recycling instructions are communicated in rental housing.
Sentiment
No committee transcript or vote record is available for this bill, so there is no documented legislative debate or recorded sentiment in the provided materials. Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears to be framed as a tenant education and waste-diversion initiative, with an emphasis on improving compliance with recycling and zero-waste rules in large multifamily buildings. The available materials do not show opposition, amendments, or support statements.
Contention
The bill’s main policy choice is to place the notice obligation on landlords and property managers rather than on tenants directly, which could raise concerns about administrative burden and compliance costs for building operators. Another possible point of contention is the bill’s geographic scope, which is limited to cities with populations of one million or more, meaning it would apply primarily to New York City and not statewide. The bill also relies on state and local recycling rules that may vary by jurisdiction, which could create implementation questions about what must be included in the notice and how it should be updated over time.
Requires landlords to notify tenants if common areas or amenities in their building will be out of service for more than seven consecutive days; provides for a $1,000 civil penalty for violation.
Creates a vacant property classification for vacant and blighted properties; allows for cities with a population of one million or more to levy an additional real property tax on vacant and blighted properties with funds raised from such taxes being used to address homelessness.
Requiring landlords to offer to sell certain rental properties to the tenants of such properties before offering such properties for sale to the public.
Requiring landlords to offer to sell certain rental properties to the tenants of such properties before offering such properties for sale to the public.