On Monday the Rent Guidelines Board approved a 0 percent increase (nada, zilch) for one year stabilized lease renewals starting in October, and 2 percent for two year leases.
Earlier Monday, the Mayor signed a new law prohibiting employers from asking prospective employees if they have a criminal record until after they are offered a job. Just what you want to deal with when hiring someone who will have access to tenant apartments.
The new City budget effective Wednesday forecasts a 4.5 percent increase in property tax revenues. Class 2 customarily pay a larger share because of preferences for single family homes.
Reinforcing its inability to administer the rent laws in any fashion, the New York State Division of Homes and Community Renewal sent the following email Tuesday, after 5 p.m.: “The DHCR online filing system is currently down and not operating. ALL owners who need to file an LD petition or MBR application by the end of the day- June 30th, are advised to access the paper forms on our website and complete them and submit them by mail or to a DHCR office by the end of the day with copies being stamped for proof of submission.”
In a speck of good news, the State Court of Appeals this week allowed New York University to continue development plans on some temporary parkland in Greenwich Village, because the paperwork originally allowing public use clearly said it was only to be used as a park temporarily. The case took three years.
Lawyers are still parsing the incredibly poorly drafted extension of rent regulations and 421a last week. Crains reported that some developers might challenge the 421a changes because the legislature hinged new provisions on private associations reaching a labor agreement. More likely, however, developers will take the tax breaks and then some NIMBY group objecting to a particular project will challenge the entire law putting everyone at risk.
Finally this week, as expected, the Housing Authority issued a Request for Proposals to build new 100 percent affordable housing on sites in three existing housing projects, one in the Bronx and two in Brooklyn.