Rent Overcharge, J51 Cases & TPU Audits

Don’t leave your legal matters to chance. SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION OR CALL US AT (212) 675-1125 for a personalized consultation and let our experts guide you through every step of the process.

Tenant Protection Unit (TPU) Audits Initiated By The DHCR

The Tenant Protection Unit (TPU) of the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) files charges and conducts audits against landlords suspected of engaging in fraud and harassment related to rent overcharges and a property’s regulatory status.

The Price Law Firm’s rent overcharge attorneys possess expert knowledge of the processes and procedures, required forms and documentation necessary to prevail in fighting a TPU audit. Call (212) 675-1125 for a free consultation.

The J-51 Tax Abatement Program

While the original trade-off was to encourage landlords to maintain low-rent properties by offering significant tax relief for qualified improvements, owners learned how to invest in their buildings, accept the abatements and later deregulate the units in order to collect market rents — all with the knowledge and tacit approval of New York City & The NY Metropolitan Area.

When the state Court of Appeals struck down this practice in the Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village litigation in 2009, the courthouse doors were effectively flung open to tenants whose free-market rents in tax abatement units now represented impermissible rent overcharges.

In general, a tenant can be eligible for market-rent refunds for up to four years if the building owner took advantage of city tax abatements under the J-51 program, then deregulated the apartment. Triple damages can be available for two years of back rates under some rent overcharge complaints.