Under a new state law, signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Dec. 8, a clear protocol is laid out for how a vacancy study is conducted, the results of which determine whether a city qualifies for rent stabilization. Under the bill, landlords would be required to respond, or risk being fined $1,000 and losing their certificate of occupancy. Absent a response, a property would be recorded as fully occupied, thus driving down the city vacancy rate and making it more likely to meet the threshold for rent control.
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State Assemblymember Sarah Clark, D-Rochester, was the sponsor for the Assembly’s version of the new law. She sees the policy as an opportunity for a local do-over.
“I think it’s worth doing, and we don’t know 100% what it will be,” Clark said. “But we do know you can’t make a housing plan if you don’t know what’s going on.”
“Rochester gets a second shot at rent control study,” December 18, 2023, via WXXI News