Rent-Stabilization Hike: Lose-Lose?
At the conclusion of the typically rowdy Rent Guidelines Board meeting last night, the board authorized increases of 4.5 percent on one-year leases and 8.5 percent on two-year leases for the city’s 1 million rent-stabilized apartments. The hike was the largest one in almost two decades, but many landlords were unhappy with the decision, saying…
At the conclusion of the typically rowdy Rent Guidelines Board meeting last night, the board authorized increases of 4.5 percent on one-year leases and 8.5 percent on two-year leases for the city’s 1 million rent-stabilized apartments. The hike was the largest one in almost two decades, but many landlords were unhappy with the decision, saying operating costs (especially fuel charges) have skyrocketed. “I am not satisfied with what we have at all,” said one landlord quoted in the Sun. According to the Times, the Rent Stabilization Association, which represents thousands of landlords, had been pushing for increases of between 10 and 15 percent. The board gave another concession to landlords in the form of a supplemental monthly rent increase of $45 for one-year leases or $85 for two-year leases for tenants who have lived in stabilized units for more than six years. Tenants, of course, expressed frustration with the board’s decision. The point we’re making is that this is a charade, Michael McKee, the treasurer of Tenants Political Action Committee, is quoted as saying in the Times. This was a done deal from the beginning. Before the meeting last night, Council Speaker Christine Quinn held a rally in support of a bill before the Legislature that would restructure the Rent Guidelines Board (which is solely comprised of members appointed by the mayor) and deny rent increases for one year on any unit with serious violations.
Board Backs Rise in Rent Up to 8.5% [NY Times]
Rent Increases Are Approved For Stabilized Apartments [NY Sun]
Photo by richarddavis.
Mea culpa. Fumble fingered (what do you want? It’s Friday!)
“I did line in one, until I decided to move to CH. But i also confess to being a little confused.”
A little HA! and I line in one too Bx.
I did line in one, until I decided to move to CH. But i also confess to being a little confused. when someone moves out of a rent-stabilized apartment, don’t they become deregulated? Or does the landlord have to put in major improvements first?
And thanks for saying what you did about enduring crap. I have to say my landlady was really wonderful, but her son was the property managers. He was ok, except that it took me 4 years of complaining about the bathroom before he would fix it. We’re talking tiles falling off the walls, wires hanging out of light fixtures. My apartment was painted just once in the almost 10 years I lived in it. The landlady kept telling him to fix it and he just figured i could go last – finally I told him I was calling the Fire Department and con Ed to do a code inspection. the next week the workmen showed up. The bathroom was so bad they had to do a gut reno. the people paying market rates (which in this case was maybe 200$ more than what I was paying, had no problems, and brand new kitchens. My kitchen was as almost as bad as the bathroom.
I think bitter people-who-don’t-have-rent-stabilized apartments are even more bitter than normal bitter renters — or owners — are ever capable of being. Most people I know who’ve lived in controlled or stabilized situations have had to endure so much crap from their landlords over the years that if they could afford to move they would have long ago. And that crap has only gotten worse.
Everyone on this blog has had the choice of renting a rent stabilized apartment at any given time — they’re not that hard to find. If you choose not to (by the way, full disclosure, I’ve always chosen not to), you have only yourself to blame. It’s an investment decision, same as buying, same as paying market rent.
The thing is, while all of the arguments for the increases do make sense — it’s just another way that this city is getting harder to live in.
I invited Nokilissa and offered the troll sandwiches but he turned me down 🙁 Little cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off too.
Hey bxgrl, I just counted over 33 posts today relating to me on a day I wasn’t online. Yeah, I would say the guest troll puppets are doing a superb job of ignoring me. Did I miss anything today other than the trolls finally (thankfully) seeing the grocery store thread? I honestly thought we were going to have to just tell them at some point soon, but we’ll let them feel special for noticing the obvious (as it was posted as an active discussion for two weeks before anyone noticed)
6:26- still laughing. You’re an idiot and you can’t write a decent, grammatical sentence to save your life. By the way- are there fake people? As opposed to “real” people?
7:09, I can only imagine all the important things in life you are also wrong about. Trollminated.
I am 100% CERTAIN that BIFF, BXGRL AND NOKILISSA ARE THE SAME PERSON.