The amount of rent that public assistance recipients must deposit into escow is limited under the bill to no more than the amount of their shelter allowance payment. The amount of rent that SSI recipients must deposit into escrow under the bill would be limited to no more than one-third of their total monthly benefit. Currently, tenants must place all future rent into escrow upon a second request for adjournment by the tenant, except for good cause shown. Currently a tenant's request for adjournment to secure counsel does not count toward the two requests for adjournment. The bill would provide that in certain rent controlled buildings in New York City which are set to be demolished, the owner may relocate the tenants to comparable apartments for the same or lower rent.
Current law has more stringent provisions.
The bill would require the Division of Housing and Community Renewal to take into account court awarded damages for violations of the warranty of habitability for failure to maintain services before imposing damages for those same violations and vice versa. Currently, both tbe Division of Housing and Community Renewal and the courts can award damages without considering the actions of the other. Our source indicates this is the legislative memo, although it did not come directly from an official source.