City Council Wants Tenants To Know Their Rights

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City Council really wants to crack down on bad landlords. Last week they debated legislation that would fine landlords for not providing adequate heat and hot water, and today legislation was introduced (below) that would require all landlords to post a tenants' bill of rights in plain view in their buildings and include it in every lease or renewal. So just what is on this bill of rights?

Among other things, the bill specifies that tenants have a right to "secure front door, working appliances, free of water leaks or cracks in ceilings and windows, vermin or rodent infestation, unreasonable noise and hazardous conditions," roommates and pets under certain conditions, and to rent without any sort of discrimination. Landlords would face $50 to $150 fines for not delivering the bill of rights to each occupied unit, and fines of up to $250 for not posting it in a public location. Great, now can we just get our cab drivers to listen to the Taxi Riders' Bill of Rights? Because that whole "knowledgeable driver who speaks English and knows City geography" is not working out so well.

Tenants bill of rights

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By Jaya Saxena in News on February 16, 2011 6:27 PM

Comments [rss]

Trustafarian

Landlords are funny - they love to stick illegal clauses in leases assuming if you sign it they can hold you to it.

Got into a pretty big battle with my old landlord who wouldn't let me sublet my apartment. He eventually bent over and took it - but not before I had to get some lawyer friends send some nasty letters.

random transplant

Your dealing with contracts which cost more in a year than the annual payout on a car loan.

I've had leases which have bullshit like "you can't take the landlord to court ever" in them.

Why is a contract valid if its been intentionally written in bad faith? Why isn't there a simple fine & lease review process?

Trustafarian

yeah - and the last thing someone wants to do when they are signing a new lease with a new landlord is be a dick and nitpick everything in it.

i'm not so sure a landlord can hold you clauses contrary to nyc housing code.

i had a landlord once try to charge me for heating oil, even though there were not separate meters and thermostats installed in each of the units in the property.

the lease said "tenant is responsible for all utilities" - but once i got a $300 heating bill - i was like hell no!!

random transplant

"i'm not so sure a landlord can hold you clauses contrary to nyc housing code. "

They can't. Not in any legal system since Hammurabi.

A judge will disregard these clauses in housing court, they might even help the tenants case that the LL is a slimeball - but for most law respecting tenants who assume their lease is a legally binding document, the damage is already done.

Trustafarian

gotcha - which is why this renters' bill of rights would be a great thing!!

random transplant

The rental market in NYC is infested & needs a serious gut-renovation.

This wont fix the system, but as long as it emboldens tenants to organize for themselves it will help.

So many leases try to slip illegal clauses in there, it would be nice of the city to at least alert renters to the possibility of such with something they can cross reference.

gaelic47

So the fact that the thermostat in our building doesn't kick on until 7 am is illegal, huh?

Rod

why don't they pass a bill that forces all landlords to post by the mailboxes the contact info for HRC so tenants can check to see how much they're being overcharged?