New York, NY — On Thursday, June 27, the New York City Council held a hearing on six housing bills, endorsed by the Progressive Caucus and sponsored by Progressive Caucus Members Keith Powers and Carlina Rivera. Chaired by Council Member Robert Cornegy, the Committee on Housing and Buildings heard testimonies from community members and advocates on the need for fairer rental processes and stronger tenant protections. All six bills have been endorsed by the Progressive Caucus and added to the Caucus’ legislative agenda for this current legislative term.
Community members spoke about the difficulty of finding affordable housing in New York City, a process made even more challenging by the numerous fees charged by landlords, which often include the first and last month’s rent, safety deposit, and broker fee. These fees add up to thousands of dollars, draining low-income New Yorkers of their savings. Among the bills heard is Int 1423, sponsored by Progressive Caucus Vice-Chair Keith Powers, which would limit the fees charged in a rental real estate transaction. Furthermore, legislation by Progressive Caucus Members Carlina Rivera and Andrew Cohen would increase transparency in the rental process and ease the burden on renters across the city.
The bills heard on Thursday’s hearing include:
Int 1423 – By Council Member Powers – A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to limiting the fees charged in a rental real estate transaction
Int 1424 – By Council Member Powers – A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to limiting rental security deposits to one month of rent
Int 1431 – By Council Member Rivera – A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the return of security deposits within 14 days of the end of a lease
Int 1432 – By Council Member Rivera – A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to transparency in residential rental application fees
Int 1433 – By Council Member Rivera – A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to providing tenants the option of paying a security deposit in six equal monthly installments