| Topics and Issues |
Councilman Andrew Cohen (D-Riverdale), Councilwoman Carlina Rivera (D-East Village), and City Comptroller Scott Stringer (D) have teamed up to sponsor Intro. 1499, a bill on residential screening that, among other things, require a study on whether the City can create its own tenant screening registry.
As noted in the official summary, the bill “would prohibit charging a fee for obtaining a tenant screening report for units the landlord or broker should know is not or will not be available for rent, unless agreed to in writing. This bill would also require the landlord to provide an applicant with the tenant screening report as long as the required fee has been paid, regardless of whether or not a lease has been signed. This legislation would also require the Department of Consumer Affairs to conduct a feasibility study on whether the city could establish its own tenant screening report system.”
The bill has been referred to the Committee on Housing and Buildings, chaired by Robert E. Cornegy, Jr. (D-Bedford Stuyvesant/Crown Heights).