Provides that penalties may be levied against a person who intentionally withholds a housing accommodation from the market, including for the purpose of future co-operative conversion.
Summary
This bill would amend New York City housing and rent-regulation laws to make it unlawful not only to harass a tenant to force vacancy, but also to intentionally withhold a housing accommodation from the market. The bill specifically includes withholding apartments for the purpose of a future cooperative conversion as a prohibited practice. Its stated purpose is to address housing shortages by deterring “warehousing” of units and to recognize housing as a basic human right.
The bill would add this prohibition to both the New York City Administrative Code and the Emergency Tenant Protection Act of 1974. It also authorizes the commissioner to impose civil penalties after a hearing for violations, with penalties ranging from $2,000 to $3,000 for a first offense and $10,000 to $11,000 for subsequent offenses or conduct affecting more than one housing accommodation. The amendments are tied to the continuing existence of rent regulation and emergency housing protections, and one provision would expire when the underlying rent stabilization law expires.
Impact
The bill would expand enforcement tools under New York City rent laws and the Emergency Tenant Protection Act by expressly treating intentional withholding of housing units from the market as a punishable offense, alongside tenant harassment. It would affect landlords, building owners, and others who keep apartments vacant for strategic reasons, including to facilitate future cooperative apartment conversion. By creating explicit penalties for warehousing, the bill would strengthen the legal basis for regulators to pursue vacant-unit withholding as a housing violation.
Sentiment
The bill’s framing and sponsor intent indicate strong support for anti-harassment and pro-housing enforcement measures. The text reflects a policy view that warehousing contributes to the housing shortage and undermines tenants’ rights, suggesting a generally favorable sentiment toward aggressive penalties. No committee transcript or vote data is provided, so there is no recorded opposition or amendment debate in the supplied materials.
Contention
The main point of contention implied by the bill is the regulation of property owners’ ability to keep units off the market, especially in connection with future cooperative conversions. Supporters would likely view this as necessary to combat vacancy manipulation and housing scarcity, while opponents may argue it intrudes on ownership rights, conversion planning, or building management discretion. The bill also raises potential enforcement questions about proving intentional withholding and distinguishing prohibited warehousing from legitimate vacancy or renovation-related activity.
Same As
Provides that penalties may be levied against a person who intentionally withholds a housing accommodation from the market, including for the purpose of future co-operative conversion.
Provides that penalties may be levied against a person who intentionally withholds a housing accommodation from the market, including for the purpose of future co-operative conversion.
Provides that penalties may be levied against a person who intentionally withholds a housing accommodation from the market, including for the purpose of future co-operative conversion.
Provides that a policy of this state should be to increase housing options and opportunities, including but not limited to affordable, workforce and senior housing.
Provides that a policy of this state should be to increase housing options and opportunities, including but not limited to affordable, workforce and senior housing.
Distinguishes the terms "service animal" and "emotional support animal"; provides that persons with a disability shall be entitled to reasonable housing accommodations for a service animal or emotional support animal, provided that they obtain documentation from a qualified practitioner; provides that certain privileges are restricted to persons with a service animal; provides that a person who fraudulently obtains documentation for a reasonable housing accommodation shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine and community service.
Requires timely public advertising or marketing of listed residential properties on platforms accessible to the general public; permits non-public marketing only where the seller gives informed, written direction after receiving a standardized state disclosure that clearly explains the risks and tradeoffs of withholding a listing from public marketing.
Establishes the crime of aggravated harassment of a rent regulated tenant which occurs when an owner intentionally engages in a systematic ongoing course of conduct to induce three or more rent regulated tenants occupying different housing accommodations in two or more residential buildings to vacate such housing accommodations or if such owner commits the crime of harassment of a rent regulated tenant and was previously convicted of the same crime in the past five years.
Establishes the crime of aggravated harassment of a rent regulated tenant which occurs when an owner intentionally engages in a systematic ongoing course of conduct to induce three or more rent regulated tenants occupying different housing accommodations in two or more residential buildings to vacate such housing accommodations or if such owner commits the crime of harassment of a rent regulated tenant and was previously convicted of the same crime in the past five years.