A group of city landlords is calling for a halt on property taxes, which are due in July, in response to activists and city politicians advocating rent cancellation.
The property owners, NYC Landlords Unite, said they plan to file a class-action lawsuit against the city, contesting property taxes and demanding a subsidy for tenants unable to pay their rent.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a moratorium on evictions. It expires Aug. 20.
The group’s website calls on landlords to reach out to their local representatives, asking them to offer property tax relief through a pre-written letter.
“The government is giving severance and stimulus checks, and tenants can use some of this money to pay part of their rent,” the letter says. “Most of the landlords are just trying to stay afloat, because they are not rich. It is unfair for them to deal with the effects of the pandemic on their own.”
Garold Wilder created the petition in mid-March, and it has since garnered 2,500 signatures and counting.
“Landlords are trying to save money by letting go of their workforce to survive,” Wilder said. “Maintenance is slowing down, causing uninhabitable conditions for tenants, simply because the landlord has no money to fix the issues.”
Both commercial and residential landlords are reporting missed rent payments from their tenants, with some of the city’s largest commercial landlords, including Vornado, receiving only half the rent they’re owed.
Last week Pamela Leibman, Corcoran president and CEO, told Crain’s that even luxury building tenants are refusing to pay rent.
“It’s very problematic when you have government sources advocating for this rent strike,” Leibman said. “Even if it’s on the affordable side, where people are really suffering, it balloons throughout the population and the psychology of anybody who’s renting an apartment.”
Brooklyn landlord Abe Klein said costs keep growing for property owners.
“I'm a manager and can't cover the basic costs to keep up the building,” he said, “due to tenants not paying their rent.”
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New York City landlords are fighting back against the rent strike by starting a property tax strike against the city - Crain's New York Business
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