Bill
A 654
Increases penalties for owners of rent-regulated property who overcharge tenants, strengthening tenant protections and deterring unlawful rent overcharges.
Status and procedural history
- Introduced: January 8, 2025 (referred to Housing).
- Recent actions: Amended and recommitted in Housing (3/24, 5/7); printed as A654A and A654B; reported and referred to Codes and Rules in May–June 2025; Rules calendar report and ordered to third reading (Cal. No. 412) on 2025-06-06.
- Sponsors: Linda Rosenthal (primary), with cosponsors Brian Cunningham, Rebecca Seawright, Steven Raga, and Manny De Los Santos.
- Companion: S.467 (Senate companion).
Purpose and intent
- The bill’s stated objective (per its title) is to strengthen consumer protections for tenants in rent‑regulated housing by increasing penalties for owners/landlords of rent‑regulated property who unlawfully overcharge tenants. The intent is to deter rent overcharges, make victims whole, and improve enforcement of rent‑regulation laws.
Key provisions (high level)
- Primary change: increases penalties imposed on owners of rent‑regulated property found to have charged rents in excess of lawful amounts.
- Administrative and enforcement remedies: the bill is likely to expand civil remedies available to tenants and enforcement agencies (e.g., higher statutory penalties, increased damages, possible treble/actual damages, fee awards, or administrative fines) — the exact penalty amounts and mechanism are not included in the provided materials.
- Procedural changes: the bill has been amended multiple times (A654A → A654B) and has moved through Housing and Codes committees; amendments likely refine definitions, enforcement processes, or the calculation of overcharge penalties.
- Relationship to other laws: affects application and enforcement of existing rent‑regulation statutes and local rent stabilization ordinances where state law interacts with local enforcement.
Who would be affected
- Tenants in rent‑regulated apartments: potentially greater ability to recover overcharged amounts and/or statutory penalties.
- Owners/landlords of rent‑regulated property: subject to higher financial liability for proven overcharges and possibly additional administrative sanctions.
- Local housing agencies, courts, and tenant legal services: increased caseloads or enforcement actions; may require updating compliance and enforcement procedures.
- Municipalities with rent stabilization programs: potential coordination with state enforcement or local remedies.
Potential impacts and considerations
- Enforcement: higher penalties can deter overcharges and incentivize landlord compliance, but may increase litigation and administrative enforcement activity.
- Equity: stronger remedies can provide better restitution to tenants who were overcharged.
- Implementation details matter: the magnitude and structure of penalties (flat fines vs. multiples of overcharge, attorney’s fees, statute of limitations) will determine the bill’s practical effect; these specifics should be confirmed by reviewing the bill text (A654B) and related legislative analyses.
Where to read the bill
- Full amended texts (A654A / A654B), legislative reports, and companion S.467 are available on the New York State Legislature website and in the Assembly Rules/Codes committee records for the June 2025 calendar. (The version content provided here did not include readable statutory language; consult the official bill page for exact statutory changes.)
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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