City doubles list of slumlorded apartments. Is rent stabilization to blame?

By A. Ready | February 4, 2011 - 3:47PM

Many renters have an occasional beef with their landlord. Some have major issues. But if you live in one of the 3,300 units in the 200 buildings just effectively blacklisted by the New York City Department of Housing and Preservation commissioner, you are officially paying rent to a slumlord. The report finds that the worst 200 buildings have more than 37,500 open housing code violations, and owe the city more than $2.9 million for emergency repairs.

A CurbedNY commenter takes up the landlords' side: "Housing advocates WAKE UP!!!! Doesn't this prove rent stabilization IS A STUPID SYSTEM THAT DOESN'T ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS????? You can't make landlords spend money on buildings where they are losing money. They won't do it!!! Get it????" Well, yes and no. As the NY Times reports today, some building owners--particularly developers with big budgets--will spend money to get rent-stabilized tenants to move along. How much? Anywhere from a few grand to $400,000. (CurbedNY; NY Times; NYC.gov)

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