Bill Text: NY S09671 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Establishes equitable repair and maintenance standards for mixed-use residential buildings with twenty or more units to prevent the use of repair and maintenance services as a form of tenant harassment.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-16 - REFERRED TO HOUSING, CONSTRUCTION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT [S09671 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S09671-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          9671

                    IN SENATE

                                      May 16, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen. JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Housing, Construction  and
          Community Development

        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  public housing law, in relation to establishing
          equitable repair and maintenance standards for certain buildings

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  The public housing law is amended by adding a new section
     2  19-b to read as follows:
     3    § 19-b. Equitable repair and maintenance standards for certain  build-
     4  ings.    1.  The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations for
     5  equitable repair and maintenance  standards  for  mixed-use  residential
     6  buildings  with  twenty  or  more  units which shall include, but not be
     7  limited to:
     8    (a) A requirement that landlords maintain a log of repair and  mainte-
     9  nance  requests  categorized  by whether the unit is market-rate, subsi-
    10  dized or rent-stabilized. Such log shall be made available for review by
    11  the division upon request and shall detail the nature of the maintenance
    12  request, the response and completion times, and  the  repair  specifics,
    13  while anonymizing tenant information.
    14    (b)  A requirement that landlords offer uniform service quality across
    15  all units, including equal response  times  and  comparable  quality  in
    16  materials  and  appliances  used  for  repairs.  The  commissioner shall
    17  promulgate comprehensive standards  for  what  constitutes  standardized
    18  response  times  and equitable repairs for the purposes of such require-
    19  ments.
    20    (c) A prohibition on utilizing repair and maintenance  services  as  a
    21  form  of  tenant  harassment,  and  a grievance procedure for tenants to
    22  report service-related issues directly to the division.
    23    (d) Penalties for non-compliance with rules and regulations promulgat-
    24  ed pursuant to this section, including but not limited to fines.
    25    2. The division shall have the power to conduct  audits  and  investi-
    26  gations  to ensure compliance with the rules and regulations promulgated
    27  pursuant to this section.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD15023-01-4

        S. 9671                             2

     1    3. The division shall annually on  or  before  December  thirty-first,
     2  publish a report on its public website which provides information on the
     3  state  of repair and maintenance services provided in mixed-use residen-
     4  tial buildings subject to the provisions of this section.
     5    §  2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
     6  ing the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately,
     7  the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or  regulation  neces-
     8  sary  for  the  implementation  of  this  act  on its effective date are
     9  authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
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