State Senator Marisol Alcántara & Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz Create New Pro-Tenant Law to Combat Illegal Non-Rental Fees

Law will help inform rent stabilized tenants about whether non-rental fees imposed by landlords are legal or illegal

State Senator Marisol Alcántara and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz won an important battle for tenants in the fight to protect affordable housing in New York City, after the governor signed into law their legislation requiring the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) to provide notice about authorized non-rental fees that can be imposed by landlords.

Currently, landlords attempt to illegally raise the rent of protected tenants by imposing unidentified fees that circumvent allowable rent increases. These fees are often used as a tactic by unscrupulous landlords as a way to increase their rent revenues beyond the permissible amount set annually by the Rent Guidelines Board.

These fees can include, but are not limited to, legal and late charges, background checks and employment verification. Many low-income tenants are unaware which fees are legally allowed and which are not and often pay the fees to avoid threats of eviction or further legal action. Under the new law, the DHCR fact sheet regarding fees for rent regulated tenants will be required to be included in the rent stabilization lease rider currently provided.

“My district has the highest proportion of rent-stabilized units of any district in the state and, in my first term in Albany, I knew that I had to provide these tenants some relief from the unsound practices of unscrupulous landlords. This bill, which is my first bill to become law, takes an important step towards transparency and fairness for tenants. I applaud Assemblyman Dinowitz for his leadership in the Assembly and I was glad to be able to carry his bill to passage in the Senate. I thank Governor Cuomo for signing this important bill into law and look forward to working with him further to preserve affordability for my constituents,” said State Senator Alcantara.

“It isn’t easy to get pro-tenant legislation through both houses of the legislature, I am proud that this legislation was able to garner unanimous support in both houses and I am glad the governor feels the same way. While this is not a cure-all for bad landlords, making sure that tenants know their rights is a positive step towards protecting New York’s stock of affordable housing,” said Assemblyman Dinowitz.