HPD analyst Stephen Werner spotted the problem of landlords not complying with rent stabilization laws 20 years ago, but his warnings were ignored. (Bryan Anselm for ProPublica)
Thousands of apartments like these in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene neighborhood qualify for rent stabilization but do not show up on the state’s list of rent-stabilized buildings. (Bryan Anselm for ProPublica)
In late August, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other top New York officials announced an unusual crackdown on landlords. Nearly 200 building owners were collecting big tax breaks under a program to spur housing, officials said, but hadn’t registered their apartments for rent stabilization as the law requires.Are You Paying Too Much Rent? What You Need to Know About Rent LimitsTens of thousands of New Yorkers are moving into newer rent-stabilized apartments. Many are paying ‘preferential’ rents that tenant advocates say invite abuse by landlords. Read the F.A.Q.Help Us Investigate New York City RentsIs your rent legal? It might not be. Your landlord might be charging you too much, and we want your help figuring that out.Let’s Talk About NYC RentsHave a question about your NYC rent? Do you think it’s too high? Is it legal? It might not be. Send us a question using #NYCRentChat. Our reporters will answer your questions live on Twitter, Tuesday, November 10, at 1 p.m.“We will not tolerate landlords who break the law and deny their tenants rent-regulated leases, plain and simple,” Cuomo said in a statement at the time. With Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, the governor announced a new enforcement effort to clean up such abuses.But an investigation by ProPublica found that in reality, state and New York City officials have tolerated the problem for years — and ignored pleas to investigate. Nor is it limited to the building owners Cuomo and Schneiderman found — landlords have failed to register thousands of buildings for rent regulation, casting doubt on the legality of leases for about 50,000 apartments across the city.That is the finding of an extensive analysis of government data covering nearly 15,000 rental buildings receiving the tax subsidies as of 2013. About 40 percent — or 5,500 buildings — weren’t listed as rent- stabilized, yet records show the owners are receiving more than $100 million in property tax reductions.
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