Cuomo signs illegal home conversions bill into law

December 7, 2017 By John Alexander Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed state Sen. Marty Golden and Assemblymember Pamela Harris’ bill protecting that aims to protect tenants. AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Share this:

Two Brooklyn lawmakers who pushed for legislation to help tenants maintain their rights said they are pleased that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed their bill into law.

The Illegal Conversions Bill was sponsored by state Sen. Marty Golden (R-C-Bay Ridge-southwest Brooklyn) and Assemblymember Pamela Harris (D-Coney Island-Dyker Heights-Bay Ridge).

Illegal home conversions occur when a property owner subdivides a single- or two-family home into multiple units — in some cases as a single room — and rents them out to tenants.

“Tenants have every right to know if the apartment they are renting is legal, and property owners are now required to disclose that information,” said state Sen. Marty Golden. “Illegal modifications to our housing stock are endangering residents, first responders, and are causing our quality of life to diminish.”

The new law is another step forward in helping to crack down on illegal home conversions. It requires a property owner to provide notice to tenants of a residential lease and as to whether a certificate of occupancy is currently valid. This will help protect some tenants who may assume an apartment for rent is safe and up to code when that is not necessarily the case.

This legislation follows the Aggravated Illegal Conversion Bill that was put in place last May. That bill was sponsored by City Councilmember Vincent Gentile (D-Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights-Bensonhurst) and signed into law by Mayor Bill de Blasio. The Aggravated Illegal Conversion Bill added increased penalties to landlords who illegally converted their buildings by fining them $15,000 per three or more units above the legally allowed number.

Harris has long advocated for the new bill to be passed. “Illegal conversions to apartments have posed a major risk for families throughout Brooklyn and across this city,” Harris said.

“No family should be forced to live in unsafe, cramped conditions all so that landlords can make more money,” she added. “I’ve been fighting to crack down on this illegal practice since I was elected to the Assembly and I am so proud to see this bill signed into law.”

The law takes effect immediately and applies to all residential leases submitted on and after that date.