Q: I lease an residence in a Central Harlem townhouse. The constructing has three items, however I do know that the owner owns different properties, that are almost definitely registered below totally different LLCs. My lease is year-to-year, inflicting me a horrible quantity of fear. New York’s Good Trigger Eviction regulation exempts landlords who personal fewer than 10 properties, and I simply don’t know what number of my landlord truly owns. How can I determine that out, so I can verify that I’m protected by the regulation and never topic to punitive lease will increase?
A: The Good Trigger Eviction regulation, which was handed final yr, limits lease will increase and prevents arbitrary evictions in sure market-rate residences. However as you level out, the regulation has exceptions, together with residences in condominium or co-op buildings and sure owner-occupied buildings. In New York Metropolis, it additionally exempts “small” landlords — those that personal 10 items or fewer anyplace within the state. (In each different municipality that has adopted this regulation, the “small landlord” definition is not any multiple unit.)
So, the extent of your landlord’s holdings can certainly decide whether or not you’re lined. Sadly, stated Cea Weaver, the director of the nonprofit Housing Justice For All, “It’s probably not straightforward to look this up in publicly accessible knowledge.”
The federal government doesn’t have a database for you, however Ms. Weaver’s group and JustFix, one other housing nonprofit, have printed one at goodcausenyc.org. You possibly can enter your handle and reply a couple of inquiries to get extra details about your landlord. “It provides you data you should make an knowledgeable determination about negotiate for a fairer lease time period,” Ms. Weaver stated.
The 2 nonprofits constructed the database utilizing data from authorities knowledge sources, and it may give you a good suggestion of whether or not your residence is roofed. The outcomes received’t show your case in court docket, however they may lead you to paperwork that can. (JustFix additionally has a “who owns what” database that may assist renters.)
If you wish to lookup restricted legal responsibility firms, some data is accessible by means of the New York’s Division of State. In any other case, details about every landlord’s statewide holdings isn’t available.
Nevertheless, the regulation requires landlords to let tenants know if they’re exempt from the regulation. So press yours for a solution.
Good Trigger Eviction is a protection in court docket in opposition to eviction proceedings, however hopefully it doesn’t get that far. Wait to see what your lease improve shall be, and if it’s too excessive, use the nonprofit instruments to barter for a good improve.
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