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The New York Court of Appeals has upheld Kingston's Housing Stability Tenant Protection Act, allowing the city's 15% rent reduction for Emergency Tenant Protection Act (ETPA) properties to stand. This decision marks a significant victory for tenant rights in Kingston, New York. Mayor Steve Noble called it a triumph for the community, alongside the recently enacted Good Cause Eviction law.
The court's ruling supports Kingston's vacancy study, which found a vacancy rate under 5%, enabling the city to adopt the ETPA. The Rent Guidelines Board's decision to reduce rents by 15% in rent-stabilized units was also upheld, marking the first such reduction in New York state. This decision ends a legal battle initiated by the Hudson Valley Property Owners Association, which challenged the validity of the vacancy study and the rent reduction.
The court dismissed the landlords' claims, stating that their objections were minor methodological disputes rather than significant issues with the study's reliability. The decision also entitles Kingston to recover legal fees from the landlord group.
According to Times Union, Kingston was the first city north of New York City suburbs to implement rent stabilization, paving the way for other municipalities. The ruling could encourage more upstate cities to consider rent stabilization, despite potential legal challenges.
The Rent Guidelines Board will hold a public hearing on Saturday (June 21) at the Kingston Public Library to discuss rent adjustments for leases starting in October 2025. The board will vote on these adjustments next Thursday (June 26).