December 2024
Weekly Report for December 27, 2024
Gov. Hochul and state lawmakers agree on new short-term rental law
State lawmakers and Governor Hochul have agreed to chapter amendments that will result in passage of a new law giving counties the option to create their own registries for short-term rental properties. There will be no mandate on counties. Booking platforms, including Airbnb and Vrbo, will be required to send quarterly reports to counties and the Department of State. Short-term rental properties will also be required to pay the same sales and occupancy taxes as hotels. Lawmakers are expected to approve the final, amended version in January. Read more here.
Gov. Hochul signs Climate Superfund bill into law
Governor Hochul signed into law the Climate Change Superfund Act. The law is meant to raise up to $75 billion over 25 years. Under the legislation, the state Department of Environmental Conservation will be tasked with implementing the program, including identifying the companies with the highest emissions, and creating a notification and collection system for the payments. They will also have to identify the “climate change adaptive infrastructure projects” that the superfund will pay for. Gas and oil groups have signaled they may challenge the law in court. Read more here.
Weekly Report for December 20, 2024
NYSAR files lawsuit challenging NYC FARE Act
On December 16, NYSAR jointly filed a lawsuit in federal court in Manhattan challenging a recently passed law in New York City (FARE Act) which prohibits tenants from paying the commission for brokers hired by a landlord. The suit alleges the FARE Act violates brokers’ rights to commercial speech protected by the First Amendment and violates the Contracts Clause since it would void existing exclusive listing agreements in which landlords require brokers to seek compensation from tenants. Read more here.
Gov. to deliver State of the State address on Jan. 14
Governor Kathy Hochul will deliver her 2025 State of the State annual address – her fourth as governor – on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. One of her first announced proposals for next year included an “Inflation Refund” program to provide $3 billion in direct payments to New Yorkers in the form of $300 to $500 tax refund checks. Read more here.
Weekly Report for December 13, 2024
NYS Building Code Council delays meeting on requiring residential fire sprinklers
Last week, the NYS Fire Prevention and Building Code Council postponed its scheduled meeting where it was expected to take action on new code changes that would mandate the installation of residential fire sprinkler systems in all new one- and two-family homes across New York. In November, NYSAR launched a public campaign urging New Yorkers to tell the Governor, Secretary of State, and state lawmakers to oppose the proposed mandate. The Code Council is now set to meet January 16, 2025 to decide whether to adopt the sprinkler mandate. NYSAR is encouraging REALTORS® to continue to tell state officials that fires sprinklers should be a consumer’s choice. Learn more and Take Action here.
HEAT Act draws concerns from business community
Business groups this week pushed back against calls for the State Legislature to pass legislation known as the HEAT Act. NYSAR has expressed opposition to the bill citing negative economic impacts the bill would have on homeowners and commercial properties. The bill would eliminate current law requiring gas companies to provide hookups to new customers within 100 feet of a gas line, while also giving the state authority to discontinue existing gas service under certain circumstances. The bill, which will be reintroduced in 2025, could also result in significant rate increases for middle-income New Yorkers. Read more here.
DEC proposes ban on refrigerants used in home and commercial cooling systems
The New York State Department of Conservation has proposed new guidelines on refrigerants – chemicals that are the main agent in home and commercial cooling systems. The proposal seeks to ban the use of hydrofluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride. If approved, distributors would have to stop selling the old hardware in June of 2025, and installers could not recharge old equipment with the chemicals after December 31, 2025. Read more here.
Weekly Report for December 6, 2024
State lawmakers echo NYSAR concerns with proposed home sprinkler mandate
This week, following a month-long public campaign launched by NYSAR, both Democratic and Republican state lawmakers have voiced their concerns and opposition to a state proposal that would mandate the installation of residential fire sprinkler systems in all new one- and two-family homes. On December 5, State Assemblymember John McDonald and his colleagues in the Assembly sent a letter to the Code Council and Governor Hochul expressing concerns with the mandate.
NYSAR supports current state law that requires new construction homebuilders to provide buyers with information on cost estimates and safety benefits related to fire sprinklers, leaving the decision up to the consumer. Learn more and send a letter to your state lawmakers at https://yourhomeyourdecision.com/.
New York City Council passes Mayor Adams’ ‘City of Yes’ housing and zoning reforms
On December 5, the New York City Council passed a negotiated version of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity by a 31-20 vote. The final agreement, which will update the city’s zoning codes, includes $5 billion in funding from New York City and state government to support affordable housing construction and renovation, sewer and flood infrastructure, fair housing measures and down payment assistance. Read more here.
Albany’s The Capitol Pressroom interviews Mike Kelly, NYSAR Director of Government Affairs on residential fire sprinkler mandate
NYSAR Director of Government Affairs, Mike Kelly, was featured this week on The Capitol Pressroom to discuss the REALTOR® perspective on a draft state proposal that would require the installation of residential fire sprinklers in new one- and two-family homes. CEO of Habitat for Humanity of NYS Michael Barrett also provided comment, mirroring NYSAR’s opposition to the proposed mandate. Listen to the full interview here.