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January 2025

Weekly Report for January 31, 2025

NYS Lead Rental Registry Program Regulations – Public Comment period ends Feb. 24
The NYS Department of Health is accepting public comments on draft regulations implementing the New York State Lead Rental Registry Program to address childhood lead poisonings by requiring landlords to remove sources of lead exposure in pre-1980 rental units in 25 communities of concern. The program will launch in Albany, Amsterdam, Auburn, Binghamton, Buffalo, Cheektowaga, Elmira, Gloversville, Jamestown, Kingston, Middletown, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Newburgh, Niagara Falls, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Rome, Schenectady, Spring Valley, Syracuse, Troy, Utica, Watertown, and Yonkers.

The public comment period for draft regulations ends on February 23, 2025. After regulations are finalized, the Department will offer trainings for landlords, contractors, and local code enforcement officers. The final regulations are scheduled to go into effect in November 2025.

You can submit a public comment here: https://regs.health.ny.gov/regulations/proposed-rule-making

Find more information here: https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/lead/lead_rental_registry.htm

Attend NYSAR’s Legislative Policy Forum: Tuesday, Feb. 4 at the Desmond Hotel, Albany
NYSAR will welcome State Senate Housing Chair Brian Kavanagh as this year’s keynote speaker at the Mid-Winter Business Meetings Legislative Policy Forum on Tuesday, February 4 at 11 a.m. at the Desmond Hotel in Albany. Sen. Kavanagh is the main sponsor of NYSAR-supported coop transparency legislation and worked with NYSAR to enact meaningful state fair housing laws. A state and federal update on REALTOR® legislative issues will also be provided. There is no registration requirement to attend this forum.

NAR’s Policy Forum focuses on federal tax reform
NAR’s recent Policy Forum during the 2025 Advocacy Week in Washington D.C. focused on the expiring tax provisions included in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Topics of discussion included raising the SALT deduction and raising the limits on the exemption of capital gains on the sale of primary residences. Read more here.


Weekly Report for January 24, 2025

NYSAR Legislative Policy Forum Speaker Announcement
NYSAR will welcome State Senate Housing Chair Brian Kavanagh as this year’s keynote speaker at the Mid-Winter Business Meetings Legislative Policy Forum on Tuesday, February 4 at 11 a.m. at the Desmond Hotel in Albany. Sen. Kavanagh is the main sponsor of NYSAR-supported coop transparency legislation and worked with NYSAR to enact meaningful state fair housing laws. There is no registration requirement to attend this forum.

DEC webinar on new freshwater wetlands regulations
On January 15, the state Department of Environmental Conservation hosted a webinar reviewing recent changes to NYS Freshwater Wetlands Regulations, including new mapping, expansion of DEC regulatory jurisdiction to wetlands, expansion of jurisdiction to include small wetlands of “unusual importance,” and a reduction in size threshold of regulated wetlands from 12.4 acres to 7.4 acres. Click here to watch DEC’s informational webinar.

Governor Hochul releases 2025-26 Executive Budget Proposal
On January 21, Governor Kathy Hochul presented her FY 2025-26 Executive Budget proposal. The $252 billion state budget increases spending 3.6 percent over last year’s budget and extends for five years a higher tax rate for New Yorkers earning over $1.1 million, which was implemented in 2021. Affordability, public safety, and housing were the main focuses of the Governor’s budget proposal. The release of the Governor’s budget formally begins the state budget negotiation process between the Governor and State Legislature with a final plan due by April 1, 2025. Executive Budget legislation can be read here.

Click here for a summary of relevant proposals included in Governor Hochul’s Executive Budget proposal.


Weekly Report for January 17, 2025

Governor Hochul delivers 2025 State of the State Address
On January 14, Governor Kathy Hochul delivered her fourth State of the State Address in Albany outlining her priorities for the year. The governor’s speech placed a large focus on public safety and increasing affordability for New Yorkers, including proposals to provide a one-time “inflation refund” check, increasing the child tax credit, and providing down-payment assistance for first-time homebuyers.

Governor Hochul’s State of the State Address serves as a preview to her Executive Budget proposal which is due by January 21. NYSAR will evaluate all relevant proposals as more details become available throughout the budget process, underscoring the importance of building upon the state’s investment in housing included in last year’s budget: $600 million to support new housing development; $500 million in capital funding for new homes on state-owned property; and new local tax incentives to create more housing opportunities.

Click here for a full NYSAR summary of the Governor’s State of the State proposals.

Click here for 2025 NYSAR’s Statement on Governor Hochul’s State of the State Address

Update: State Code Council set to meet on mandated home fire sprinklers Feb. 28
The NYS Fire Prevention and Building Code Council is now scheduled to meet on February 28, 2025 to decide whether to adopt a new state fire sprinkler mandate following the postponement of two prior meetings. The proposed code change would mandate the installation of residential fire sprinkler systems in all new one- and two-family homes across New York. NYSAR is urging REALTORS® and residents to tell Governor Hochul, Secretary of State, and state lawmakers to oppose the proposed mandate. Learn more and Take Action here.

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.


Weekly Report for January 10, 2025

2025 NYSAR President Jacqlene Rose Statement on Governor Hochul’s 2025 housing priorities
Following Governor Kathy Hochul’s announcement on new housing proposals to be included in her upcoming State of the State address, 2025 NYSAR President Jaqlene Rose issued the following statement.

Purchasing a home in New York State remains unaffordable for too many, which is why we are happy to learn that Governor Kathy Hochul has incorporated in her 2025 planning a strategy long supported by NYSAR to incentivize down payment savings.

NYSAR has championed legislation to help residents save for down payment and closing costs associated with the purchase of a home. In 2024, a bill proposed by NYSAR was introduced by Senator Jeremy Cooney (Rochester) and Assemblyman Phil Ramos (Suffolk County) that would create a state tax deductible savings account for New York first-time home buyers, operating like the state’s existing 529 College Savings program.

Although the details of Governor Hochul’s proposal are still unknown, it appears she is considering a similar program, and we urge her to incorporate the NYSAR plan in her budget proposal.

Read the full statement here.

Governor Hochul announces housing proposals ahead of 2025 State of the State address
On January 9, Governor Kathy Hochul announced a series of housing proposals as a preview to her upcoming State of the State address scheduled for January 14. In her announcement, Governor Hochul reiterated her commitment to address the ongoing housing shortage and increase affordability by creating more homeownership opportunities. The governor outlined proposals to provide $50 million in new state funding to support first-time homebuyers, provide a local opt-in property tax incentive for low- and moderate-income homebuyers, strengthen laws to combat home appraisal discrimination, and limiting institutional investors from buying one- and two-family homes. Read more here.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams delivers fourth State of the City address
On January 9, New York City Mayor Eric Adams delivered his fourth State of the City address. Much of the address focused on public safety and a commitment to investing $650 million to support New Yorkers facing homelessness and touting passage of his “City of Yes” zoning reforms to help make it easier to build more housing in the city. Read more and watch the Mayor’s address here.


Weekly Report for January 3, 2025

Urge NYS officials to oppose mandated fire sprinklers in all new homes – State Code Council set to decide January 16
The NYS Fire Prevention and Building Code Council is scheduled to meet on January 16, 2025 to decide whether to adopt a new state fire sprinkler mandate. The proposed code change would mandate the installation of residential fire sprinkler systems in all new one- and two-family homes across New York. NYSAR is urging REALTORS® and residents to tell Governor Hochul, Secretary of State, and state lawmakers to oppose the proposed mandate. Learn more and Take Action here.

To watch the Code Council meeting on January 16 at 10:00 a.m. or provide your own public comment click here to register.

2025 Legislative Session Preview
State lawmakers are preparing to return to Albany for the first day of legislative session on January 8. The Legislature and Governor have a long policy agenda that they’ll debate in the upcoming year and are already entering the ever-contentious budget process. Governor Hochul is scheduled to deliver her State of the State Address on January 14, followed by the release of her Executive Budget proposal, beginning the process of state budget negotiations. Read about the policies and issues that could be driving next year’s session here.

Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS® and NYSAR launch local Call for Action opposing “good cause” eviction proposal in Croton-on-Hudson
This week, the Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS® (HGAR) worked with NYSAR to launch a Call for Action asking local REALTORS® to contact Croton-on-Hudson Village Trustees and Mayor urging them to oppose adoption of a local “good cause” eviction law. REALTORS® that live or work in the Village can Take Action here.