Some Landlords To Face Greater Regulations
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
Landlords of former Mitchell Lama buildings will face greater rent regulations, as Governor Spitzer closed what he deemed a loophole in rental law yesterday. Previously, landlords had been able charge market rate rents on units in some rent-stabilized buildings that withdrew from the Mitchell Lama “affordable” housing program, citing an exemption for “unique and peculiar ” properties.
Mr. Spitzer yesterday barred landlords from invoking the exception based on a building’s prior participation in Mitchell Lama.
The state was processing landlords’ applications to invoke the exception for at least 5,000 units, a spokeswoman for the Department of Housing and Community Renewal said.
The move comes as a victory for housing advocates, who had claimed the exception harmed low-income tenants.
