What would you do if you learned your long-term apartment was rent-stabilized and you didn’t know?
Kathy Meng moved into her rent-stabilized apartment Williamsburg in 2016, but she had no idea it was rent-stabilized. For more than three years, she was unknowingly overcharged for rent until one day in 2019, when a piece of mail opened her eyes to her situation.
“Last summer, I received mail from the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) requesting my response to proceed investigation in a rent overcharge case. [This] included correspondence with my landlord and a Tenant Protection Union (TPU) determination letter that asked my landlord to reset my rent to the legal amount.”
There was one problem: Kathy’s landlord never reset the rent.
After reading through the mail, Kathy learned that her landlord claimed to spend $60,000 on Individual Apartment Improvements (IAI) for her apartment, and the hike in her rent was from the cost of “renovating” her apartment. He attached a $60,000 check and an invoice to a contractor company called KYD processing as evidence of the IAI. However, upon further investigation, TPU learned that Kathy’s landlord was also the owner of KYD Processing!
Kathy learned about IMPACCT Brooklyn after researching community housing organizations in the borough. She joined us during our weekly Community Organizing walk-in hours and spoke to Raliek, one of our community organizers, who answered all of her questions about her specific situation and provided her with guidance and assurance.
“Raliek told me what my rights are, what’s legal and illegal, what behavior from my landlord constitutes as harassment, what if I go to housing court, how do I get a lawyer, and more,” Kathy said.
“We helped Ms. Meng request her Rent History, so she could have documented proof of the previous tenants’ stabilized rent, and we advised her to file for a rent reduction for IAI,” Raliek added.
After auditing the IAIs, the DHCR determined that the landlord couldn’t provide evidence for the rent being charged based on the improvements made. Not only did the state of New York order the landlord to reset her rent to its stabilized rate, but the TPU also ordered the landlord to repay the tenant’s rent collected in excess, along with awarding treble damages worth over $100K!
Afterwards, Kathy attended one of IMPACCT Brooklyn’s free legal clinics, where a housing attorney named Roni advised Kathy on her best defenses when renting against predatory equity landlords and how to prepare if her landlord tried to take her to housing court.
“The legal clinic was very helpful,” Kathy told me. “IMPACCT Brooklyn scheduled an empathetic and smart lawyer named Roni to give each tenant individual advice. What Raliek couldn’t answer in terms of legality, Roni gave regarding legal terms and housing court.”
Since Kathy’s landlord is outright refusing to reset her rent, the TPU passed her case on to the DHCR for further investigation. Although the department hasn’t made a final decision regarding Kathy’s case, she’s optimistic about the outcome, thanks in part to IMPACCT Brooklyn’s advice and knowledge.
“I have the right to renew my lease in a rent stabilized building, [and] I very much look forward to being able to pay the legal amount for rent in the future.”
If you or your neighbors are being harassed by your landlord, overcharged for rent, not getting the repairs you need, or facing unlawful eviction, learn your rights and fight back with IMPACCT Brooklyn’s help! Contact our Community Organizing department today for help forming a tenant union, or for one-on-one counseling and free legal assistance!
