Some lawmakers joined tenants and advocacy groups in a “sleep-in” protesting the expiration of New York’s rent regulations by camping outside Governor Cuomo’s Manhattan office overnight.
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams tweeted a photo from the protest early Thursday morning, saying he was “in it for the long haul.”
Other city leaders at the protest included Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and council members Antonio Reynoso, Jumaane Williams, Laurie Cumbo and Brad Lander.
The law affecting rents paid by 2 million New York City tenants expired Monday when state lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on extending it before a midnight deadline.
The rent regulations cover some 1 million rent-controlled and rent-stabilized units in and around the city. The longstanding rules, which must be renewed in Albany periodically, dictate rent increases and eviction policies and are seen as a key protection for affordable housing in the nation's largest city.
Although the immediate impact of a lapse in the regulations would likely be minor, the city has seen an uptick in calls to the 311 information hotline from tenants asking about the expiration. Mayor de Blasio has said the city is prepared to take steps against landlords who tell tenants their leases are no longer in effect because of the law’s expiration.
