A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to the creation of an office of the tenant advocate within the department of buildings

Int. No.

By Council Member Rosenthal

A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to the creation of an office of the tenant advocate within the department of buildings

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Chapter 26 of the New York city charter is amended by adding a new section 650 to read as follows:

§ 650. a. Establishment of the office of the tenant advocate. There shall be in the department an office of the tenant advocate, whose duties shall include, but not be limited to:

1. approving tenant protection plans to ensure that such plans comply with the requirements of section 28-104.8.4 of the administrative code;

2. approving site safety plans, for work on occupied multiple dwellings, to ensure that such plans comply with the requirements of section 28-110.1 of the administrative code;

3. establishing a system to receive comments, questions and complaints with respect to tenant protection plans and site safety plans for work on occupied multiple dwellings, including, but not limited to, establishing and publicizing the availability of a telephone number to receive such comments, questions and complaints;

4. establishing a system to communicate with tenants who are affected by work in occupied multiple dwellings to ensure that such tenants have notice of such work, understand the applicable tenant protection plan and/or site safety plan and understand their rights as tenants during such work; and

5. monitoring sites with tenant protection plans to ensure that such sites are complying with such plan and, where applicable, with a site safety plan.

b. Reporting. The office of the tenant advocate shall submit to the mayor and the speaker of the city council, and publish on the department’s website, quarterly reports related to the responsibilities of the office, including but not limited to:

1. the number of complaints received by the office and a description of such complaints;

2. the average time taken to respond to such complaints;

3. the number of tenant protection plans reviewed;

4. the number of site safety plans reviewed;

5. a list of the instances where the tenant protection plan did not meet the requirements of section 28-104.8.4 of the administrative code, and the follow-up action taken by the office;

6. a list of the instances where the site safety plan did not meet the requirements of section 28-110.1 of the administrative code, and the follow-up action taken by the office; and

7. a description of efforts made to communicate with tenants.

c. Posting of office information. The department shall post on its website the phone number of the office of the tenant advocate and a statement indicating that any person may contact such office if such person has a comment, question or complaint regarding tenant protection plans or site safety plans in occupied multiple dwellings.

§ 2. This local law takes effect 120 days after it becomes law, except that the commissioner of buildings may take such measures as are necessary for its implementation, including the promulgation of rules, prior to its effective date.

FM

LS #5762

3/1/17 2:57 PM