“As multifamily landlords weigh the potential benefits of leaving the city behind, recent efforts to introduce tighter rent laws upstate in Kingston could complicate those plans. That city is considering opting into the Emergency Tenant Protection Act, which would allow areas outside NYC to adopt rent regulations if the vacancy rate is below 5 percent.
Martin said CHIP will first turn its attention to the Kingston area to fend off the ETPA push, along with other markets such as Rochester, Buffalo and parts of Nassau and Suffolk counties.
“No doubt that there will be more lobbying in those municipalities. We’re looking to ally with existing groups in suburban areas that advocate for fair housing,” he said. “We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel.”
Alex Panagiotopoulos, co-founder of the Kingston Tenants Union, said landlords targeting areas outside New York City are one of the driving forces behind the push for the new legislation.
“The day after the laws passed, we started talking about opting into the ETPA,” he said.”