BILL NUMBER: S1217
SPONSOR: BAILEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the administrative code of the city of New York and the
emergency tenant protection act of nineteen seventy-four, in relation to
warehousing of housing accommodations and penalties therefor
 
PURPOSE:
To eliminate the practice of warehousing by providing strong penalties
to deter such practice.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
The bill amends the relevant provisions of the administrative code of
the city of New York and the emergency tenant protection act to make it
unlawful to harass a tenant so they vacate their housing accommodation.
The bill also proscribes the intentional withholding of housing accommo-
dations from the market, including for the purpose of converting the
subject apartment into a cooperative apartment.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The practice of warehousing - intentionally withholding apartments from
the housing market, particularly for future cooperative apartment
conversion has contributed significantly to the shortage of housing in
New York. This practice has limited the affordable housing stock in New
York City, further exacerbating the city's chronic housing shortage.
This bill will make it illegal to harass a tenant to vacate his or her
apartment or intentionally withhold an apartment from the rental market.
This legislation will impose civil penalties of $2000-$3000 for the
warehousing of suitable housing units to prevent further diminution of
this scarce resource.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2019-20:Referred to Housing,Construction and Community Development
2021-22:Referred to Housing,Construction and Community Development
2023-24:Referred to Housing,Construction and Community Development
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately, with provisions.