Rent increases approved for Westchester's rent-stabilized apartments

Samantha Antrum, Rockland/Westchester Journal News
·3 min read

WHITE PLAINS -- The Westchester Rent Guidelines Board voted 6-1 Thursday night to increase the rents on rent-stabilized apartments by 2.5% for one-year leases and 3.5% for two-year leases.

If the board certifies the results in September, as expected, the increases will affect rent-stabilized leases that begin between Oct. 1, 2024, and Sept. 30, 2025.

The decision comes after the City of New York's Rent Guidelines Board voted last week to increase rents for rent-stabilized apartments by 2.75% for one-year leases and 5.25% for two-year leases.

Members of the Westchester County Rent Guidelines Board meet in White Plains June 27, 2024. The board voted to increase rents on stabilized apartments at a rate of 2 1/2% for one year leases and 3 1/2% for two years leases.
Members of the Westchester County Rent Guidelines Board meet in White Plains June 27, 2024. The board voted to increase rents on stabilized apartments at a rate of 2 1/2% for one year leases and 3 1/2% for two years leases.

Responses to the decision were predictably mixed. Howie Ravikoff, owner of Ravikoff Property Management, had an enthusiastic response to the meeting, noting that he found the conversations between tenant representatives and owner representatives to be respectful.

"I'm more encouraged about what I saw tonight than I've seen in several years, which is a reasonable exchange between opposing parties," Ravikoff said.

Some tenant advocates were not pleased by the rent increases. Genevieve Roche, a former tenant representative on the Rent Guidelines Board and current director of operations and finance for Mount Vernon United Tenants, called the decision "outrageous."

Members of the public listen as the Westchester County Rent Guidelines Board meet sin White Plains June 27, 2024. The board voted to increase rents on stabilized apartments at a rate of 2 1/2% for one year leases and 3 1/2% for two years leases.
Members of the public listen as the Westchester County Rent Guidelines Board meet sin White Plains June 27, 2024. The board voted to increase rents on stabilized apartments at a rate of 2 1/2% for one year leases and 3 1/2% for two years leases.

"There are fewer than 20,000 rent-stabilized apartments in those three cities (Yonkers, New Rochelle and Mount Vernon), which constitute about 81% of all the rent stabilized units in Westchester County," Roche said. "They are severely rent-burdened. They're paying between 55 and 64% of their income on rent.

"So every dollar that they have to spend on rent takes money away from medical, childcare, groceries, food, you name it. For what? To give owners who are already making 35.5 percent profit more money?"

Evelyn Alicea-Santiago, a public member of the Westchester Rent Guidelines Board, called the increase a compromise.

"The issue of affordability, especially in a city like White Plains, where there is luxury housing being built everywhere, it's quite contentious," Alicea-Santiago said. "But I think that this was fair."

Tamara Stewart, a member of the Westchester County Rent Guidelines Board on the side of tenants, speaks during a meeting of the guidelines board in White Plains June 27, 2024. The board voted to increase rents on stabilized apartments at a rate of 2 1/2% for one year leases and 3 1/2% for two year leases.
Tamara Stewart, a member of the Westchester County Rent Guidelines Board on the side of tenants, speaks during a meeting of the guidelines board in White Plains June 27, 2024. The board voted to increase rents on stabilized apartments at a rate of 2 1/2% for one year leases and 3 1/2% for two year leases.

Rent-stabilized apartments are subject to the state's Emergency Tenants Protection Act of 1974, which regulates how much rents can be increased and protects certain tenant rights. The law allows municipalities in Westchester, Rockland and Nassau counties to adopt rent stabilization for privately-owned apartment buildings of six or more units built before January 1974.

According to the New York State Office of Homes and Community Renewal, as of 2022, there were 24,397 rent-stabilized apartments in Westchester County.

Tenants, landlords make their cases

The Rent Guidelines Board met Monday in Yonkers to hear presentations from the tenant and owner representatives on the board regarding the rent guidelines.

On Thursday, the two representatives countered the others' arguments from Monday for about a half hour. Then the board voted on three motions.

The first, proposed by tenant representatives, advocated for no rent increase for one-year leases and a 1% increase for two-year leases. This motion failed.

Kenneth Finger, a member of the Westchester County Rent Guidelines Board on the side of landlords, speaks during a meeting of the guidelines board in White Plains June 27, 2024. The board voted to increase rents on stabilized apartments at a rate of 2 1/2% for one year leases and 3 1/2% for two years leases.
Kenneth Finger, a member of the Westchester County Rent Guidelines Board on the side of landlords, speaks during a meeting of the guidelines board in White Plains June 27, 2024. The board voted to increase rents on stabilized apartments at a rate of 2 1/2% for one year leases and 3 1/2% for two years leases.

The second, proposed by owner representatives, requested a 4% increase for one-year leases and a 7.75% increase for two-year leases. This motion also failed.

The third, proposed by board Chair Elsa Rubin, proposed the 2.5% increase for one-year leases and the 3.5% increase for two-year leases. This motion passed.

The decision to increase rent-stabilized apartment prices is scheduled to be certified in September, according to the Rent Guidelines Board website.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Westchester NY board approves increases for rent-stabilized apartments