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Rent Stabilized apt w no info 10 yrs and 400% increase

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

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Rent Stabilized apt w no info 10 yrs and 400% increase

Postby Jlmcc13 » Sun Aug 14, 2022 11:28 am

Hi,

I am currently investigating whether my stabilized apt rent amount should be lower. I am new to NYC and did write to DHCR for more info. Please see the rental history from DHCR below:

1984-I to 1989 Rent Stabilized $416.17 to $443.22
1989 VAC/LEAS
1989-1999 Rent Stabilized $516.35-$612.01

In 1996-1999 same tenant who renewed and the Legal regulated rent was much higher than actual rent paid.

1996 Legal Rent $746.92; Actual Rent $663.61 Reason for difference is PREF/PHAS, LEAS/RNL, MCI
1997 Legal Rent $757.39; Actual Rent $674.08 Reason: PREF PHAS MCI
1998 Legal Rent $809.67; Actual Rent $764.55 Reason: PREF/PHAS, LEAS/RNL
1999 Legal Rent $810.39; Actual Rent $802.74 Reason:PREF/PHAS MCI

Then 2000-present *REG NOT FOUND FOR SUBJECT PREMISES

When I signed my lease in 2021 and renewed in 2022, the apt was still listed as rent stabilized with preferential rent at $3854 and legal rent $1000 more.

If my apt is still rent stabilized, why is the information not listed? I also don’t know what jobs were done in what year and am not sure how to find that out. But the jump seems extreme.

I live in Stuyvesant Town which was apparently illegally deregulated and tenants sued to get it moved back. I have no idea if my building or unit was affected by this or if this changes anything.

Any advice on next steps?

Thanks!
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Re: Rent Stabilized apt w no info 10 yrs and 400% increase

Postby TenantNet » Sun Aug 14, 2022 11:42 pm

First thing to understand, while the rent history may be useful, it's really just a list of registrations filed by landlords with DHCR. The registrations are not themselves proof of legal rent; they simply state what the LLs tell DHCR and DHCR never checks unless a complaint is filed.

We can't tell anything from the information you list. At a minimum, the actual rent history would need to be examined.

You can FOIL any MCI orders as well as any complaints made by previous tenants, if any were filed. That could get you some information.

As of 2000, it says there was no registration. This is when the LL claims the unit has been deregulated. Given this is so long ago, you would have to go back and get a lot more detail in order to prove fraud, if any exists. Yes, substantial units were illegally deregulated from 1997-2019, but the question is what can be done about it, if anything.

You say the unit was "still listed." Where? On what document?

I understand you're at a loss of information. Welcome to corrupt NYS government.

StuyTown of course is peculiar in its own way, and has gone through many things over the years. A book was written, "Other People's Money" by Charles Bagli.

Are you in touch with the ST Tenants Assoc? Can they tell you anything? I would think all the goings on at ST, there's a lot more documentation to be found.
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Re: Rent Stabilized apt w no info 10 yrs and 400% increase

Postby Cylon452 » Fri Aug 26, 2022 8:40 pm

Did they change the apartment number or letter,
This happened to me. I did a rent history for apartment 2F and DHCR known as HCR now and it went back only 5 years. I told them to check 2A, then the entire list showed up going back even further. Yeah.

This is a Trick Building owners use. All the Units in my building were using A as a front apartment and B as the rear apartment. Then he changed the letters on all the doors except mine from 2A to 2F. HCR should have been brighter then that. Set a low bar when going there.

I'm thinking your apartment Letter ( from A to F OR F to A ) may have been changed.
Go back to HCR and ask for both A and F. This worked for me. This may be the case for you as it was for me.

In Brooklyn HCR at 55 hanson place there are only 4 to 5 agents at any given time to address all of Brooklyn. I know i was going there 2 to 3 times a week fighting for my rights and others in my building.
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Re: Rent Stabilized apt w no info 10 yrs and 400% increase

Postby BubbaJoe123 » Mon Oct 03, 2022 3:20 pm

Stuy Town is uniquely complicated when it comes to rent stabilization. Read up on the Roberts decision, which it sounds like may cover your apartment. Pretty decent intro to the situation here: https://www.ibo.nyc.ny.us/iboreports/th ... -2018.html

Short version, a number of apartments (6k+) were deregulated, but the courts ruled that, since Stuy Town was receiving tax breaks, the deregulation couldn't go through until the tax breaks expired, which they did in 2020. The tenants' association filed suit in 2020, alleging that, since the revised rent laws of 2019 eliminated deregulation, the apartments couldn't be deregulated. The case was argued in June, don't believe a decision has been issued yet.

Definitely, though, connect with the Stuy Town Tenants' Association: https://www.stpcvta.org/.
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