Assembly approves tenant-notification bill requiring notice when code violations are confirmed

Assemblymember Lunsford sponsored and won approval for A.3126-b on the Assembly floor, a bill that requires local code-enforcement authorities to notify an individual tenant complainant when a building-code violation they reported is found to be valid.

The bill directs the Department of State to promulgate regulations establishing the notification mechanism. Under the measure, notification must be delivered by certified or registered mail or in person; the sponsor said the requirement applies to individual tenants who file complaints, not to businesses or whole-building reports.

"This is a common-sense accountability measure," Assemblymember Lunsford said, arguing it will let tenants leverage local government to enforce safe-housing standards and, where necessary, hold landlords accountable in court.

Assemblymember Molotar questioned whether the requirement could become burdensome for local code officers who serve multiple jurisdictions and what the expense of certified mail would mean to local government. Lunsford replied that officers already notify landlords and that providing a copy to the complainant should not be unduly burdensome; she said New York City uses an electronic database by city authority but the statute contemplates registered or certified mail in many localities.

The Assembly voted 95–45 to pass the bill after a party-vote request. Assemblymember Peoples Stokes stated the Democratic conference supported the measure; Mr. Gandolfo announced Republican opposition prior to the vote.

The measure now moves to subsequent processing in the legislative calendar and requires the Department of State to issue corresponding regulations before implementation.