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Understanding my rent history

NYC Rent Regulation: Rent Control/Rent Stabilized, DHCR Practice/Procedures

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Understanding my rent history

Postby Comfortable-Tie-2135 » Wed Jan 19, 2022 4:14 pm

Hi everyone

New here.

I think my apartment is stabilized but I didn’t get that familiar stabilized lease. I received a tax rider with a market rate looking lease.

The entire building is renovated.

I requested rent history and it’s a bit confusing.

I signed my lease in May 2021 and this information has not been updated yet (reg not found for subject premises) with DHCR however it says RS for the previous tenants.

It reads like so:
2015 $ 2700 tenant A RS
2016 tenant A renewed IMPROVEMENT
2017 $2700 tenant K RS
2018 Reg not found for subject premises
2019 $2740.5 tenant C RS LEASE/RNL
2020 Reg not found for subject premises
2021 Reg not found for subject premises

Apartment services : stove refrigerator

Is my apartment rent stabilized?

Thanks everyone for all your help!!
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Re: Understanding my rent history

Postby TenantNet » Wed Jan 19, 2022 5:40 pm

The rent history should go back to 1984 or when the building was constructed. Can you attach it to a private mail message? Do not post it in the public part of the forum.

Is the building subject to any regulatory agreement, or tax abatements such as J51 or 421-a?
In what you send to us, list the exact amounts of the rent, not round numbers as above.

What do they list as an improvement in 2016?
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Re: Understanding my rent history

Postby Comfortable-Tie-2135 » Thu Jan 20, 2022 5:05 pm

Thanks so much for your response!

It says “reg not found for subject premises from 1984 to 2014.”
I did not round the rent. The amounts are as listed on the document.
The document doesn’t list what the improvement was for but at the bottom it says
Apartment services: stove,refrigerator
Building services: bell &buzzer system
Building tax benefits: 421-A”

My lease also has a tax benefits rider for J-51

I can send the document by private mail but I’m fairly new to the site. Can you direct me to what email address to send it to?

Thanks again,
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Re: Understanding my rent history

Postby TenantNet » Thu Jan 20, 2022 7:06 pm

Use the PM button to the left of each post. That[s Private Mail. Or email to tenant@tenant.net

It might be that the building was constructed around 2014, which could explain why there is no registration before that.

Supporting that theory are the 421-a and J-51 tax abatements. Any work on how long those benefits last? It might be on ACRIS. Google "NYC Dept. of Finance and ACRIS".

Also look for a Regulatory Agreement that might detail all of this.
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Re: Understanding my rent history

Postby Comfortable-Tie-2135 » Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:07 pm

Hey,
Turns out I am rent stabilized and I’ve received the rent stabilized renewal lease yesterday.

They offered me 1.5% for 1 year
Or 2.5% increase for 2 years

I’m going with the 1 year since the first 6 months will be 0% and who knows what the future may hold in terms of with the rent guidelines board. Also this might save money versus signing 2 years possibly. Any thoughts?

So all the sleuthing may have been premature? (Or just smart)

Thank you for all your help!
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Re: Understanding my rent history

Postby TenantNet » Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:24 pm

Getting a RS lease does not, in itself, confer RS status. As we've said, that is something that DHCR or the courts determine. However, a RS lease is good for you and can be significant if the question ever comes up again.

Make sure the renewal is on DHCR form RTP-8 (dated 6/21 at the bottom left of the page). That is the ONLY permissible RS renewal form allowed. See https://hcr.ny.gov/system/files/documen ... llable.pdf

Also check the RGB to see if the percentages they offer increases that match the real RGB percentages. See https://rentguidelinesboard.cityofnewyo ... -order-53/
Note that this year a one-year renewal is bifurcated so that is is "0% for the first 6 months of the lease and 1.5% for the remaining 6 months of the lease."

SO when you say 1.5% for the first year, that is incorrect. The 6/21 version of the RTP-8 allows for this; earlier versions do not.

Make sure the LL has not attached other riders that can change the terms of the original lease. There are some exceptions to that (i.e., the DHCR informational rider) and maybe things relating to 421-a or J-51, but be VERY careful in what they are doing.

Over the years, 2 year renewals are cheaper in the long run, but this year is an exception.

No amount of sleuthing is premature.

Also look at the rents going back to the inception of your tenancy and make sure you have the complete rent history going back to 1984 or whenever the building was constructed. You might discover that while the appearance is good now, there might have been an overcharge or the rent level had been illegally jacked-up over the years.
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Re: Understanding my rent history

Postby Comfortable-Tie-2135 » Sat Jan 22, 2022 10:41 pm

Great! It’s the RTP-8 from 6/21. Excuse my earlier response- it’s 0% for the first 6 months as stated on the RG website.

The renewal didn’t come with any additional riders and the renewal stated that the terms are same as what’s reflected in the original lease.

As stated in my earlier responses, it says “reg not found for subject premises” from 1984 to 2014. Not unless there’s another way to obtain this information, I wouldn’t know if they jacked it up unfortunately:/
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Re: Understanding my rent history

Postby TenantNet » Sun Jan 23, 2022 12:10 am

When was the building constructed? You said it was 421-a and J-51, so it might get tricky.
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Re: Understanding my rent history

Postby Comfortable-Tie-2135 » Wed Jan 26, 2022 4:32 pm

I can’t find any record of when it was built. Looked on acris as well
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Re: Understanding my rent history

Postby TenantNet » Wed Jan 26, 2022 5:18 pm

Look at zola.planning.nyc.gov
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Re: Understanding my rent history

Postby Comfortable-Tie-2135 » Thu Jan 27, 2022 4:21 pm

Got it. It was built in 1927 (wow) and altered in 2013. Does this mean anything?
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Re: Understanding my rent history

Postby Comfortable-Tie-2135 » Thu Jan 27, 2022 4:22 pm

One thing to also note is the building number is 2 numbers higher than it is on my lease but it’s the same lot and address. Not sure why they changed the building number.
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Re: Understanding my rent history

Postby TenantNet » Thu Jan 27, 2022 4:43 pm

Look on Zola and Acris (links on Zola) for references to the alteration - what did they do, and also forf any tax abatements such as 421-a or J-51.
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Re: Understanding my rent history

Postby Comfortable-Tie-2135 » Thu Feb 03, 2022 6:23 pm

Under NYC buildings, I found references to work on flooring and subdividing existing zoning (?)
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Re: Understanding my rent history

Postby TenantNet » Thu Feb 03, 2022 7:09 pm

Subdividing the building, or subdividing the zoning?

Adding new floorboards, as far as I know, are not required to have a DOB permit, unless it involves sub-flooring (maybe) or underlying joists, i.e., the structural stuff. Check DOF for tgax abatements.

Also see these pages:

https://www1.nyc.gov/site/finance/benef ... -421a.page
https://data.cityofnewyork.us/City-Gove ... -s7wc/data
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