What changed in NYC housing today

Major compliance and regulatory reshapes

1. Photo: Brownstoner
   Renamed broker fees still draw FARE Act fines. Summonses show brokers charging tenants under labels like "finders fee" or "management fee," or tying "off-market" units to a fee. DCWP treats these as FARE Act violations, and OATH hears the cases. Even an undisclosed $25 credit check fee drew a fine. (Brownstoner)
2. Photo: Jim.henderson, CC0
   DCWP commissioner seeks state ban on dual agency. A Real Deal opinion column published 10/31/2026 argues coverage overstates broker misconduct. It notes 55 fines totaling $60,000 in about a year and a half, and says only 1 in 45 complaints and inquiries has led to a fine. If adopted, a ban could change how owners use brokers on leasing. (The Real Deal · New York, The Real Deal)
3. Photo: Gothamist
   Two Trees sued over 421a renewal rent increases. The suit says Two Trees applied renewal increases to full legal rents instead of the lower preferential rents tenants paid, raising rents by more than $30 million over five years. Two Trees said it is reviewing the suit, and HCR declined to comment on ongoing litigation. (Gothamist)
4. Photo: Gothamist
   NYCHA clears asbestos residue at Marcy Houses. A steam leak from a mobile boiler line left asbestos-laden residue on exterior walls at 502 and 504 Marcy Ave. in Bedford-Stuyvesant. NYCHA and DEP visited on 10/29/2026 after residents said they had complained for weeks. Heat and hot water were restored to all nine affected buildings by early 10/30/2026. (Gothamist)
5. Photo: NY1
   DEC halts UWS water tower work over owl nest. DEC police told Upper West Side building managers on 10/29/2026 to pause demolition of a water tower roof where five young barn owls had nested since early October. Work resumed on 10/30/2026, and DEC then delivered a cease and desist letter. The Manhattan Borough President and the NYC Bird Alliance say the building ignored the order. (NY1)

Placement, lotteries and outreach

1. Photo: Secret NYC
   Bronx HPD lottery open until 11/18/2026. A NYC Housing Connect lottery covers one-, two- and three-bedroom units at four buildings built through HPD's Neighborhood Construction Program in Morris Heights, University Heights and Hunts Point. Rent includes gas heat, but tenants pay electricity. Caseworkers should make sure each household submits only one application. (Secret NYC)
2. Photo: QNS
   Far Rockaway lottery targets incomes near $100,000. Six of 30 units in a new 5-story building at 272 Seagirt Blvd. are in the lottery, all at 80% of area median income. Two-bedrooms need household incomes of $97,406 to $146,560. Three-bedrooms rent for $2,962 for incomes of $112,698 to $168,320. (QNS)
3. Photo: New York YIMBY
   17 moderate-income units open in Allerton. The notes do not give rents or a deadline. Check Housing Connect for income limits and the closing date before referring clients. (New York YIMBY)
4. Photo: Gothamist
   Neighborhood Navigators add Manhattan street outreach. The Manhattan DA's office runs Neighborhood Navigators, staffed by workers who experienced homelessness or incarceration. The program stays with clients through appointments. Navigators lack access to the DHS outreach database, which advocates say complicates coordination. (Gothamist)
5. Photo: Bronx Times
   Fordham Landing South seeks ULURP commercial overlay. Dynamic Star LLC is seeking a commercial overlay for the Harlem River site. The phase would add 927 affordable units, including supportive housing, plus a supermarket and a Metro-North entrance. The housing is already allowed as-of-right. (Bronx Times)

Policy, costs and supply watch

1. Photo: The Real Deal
   Election could reshape state rent-stabilization rules. Real estate money is flowing into the governor's race and several State Senate races on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley. Blakeman wants rent law changes to put empty stabilized units back on the market. DSA and WFP picks push to expand rent stabilization and create a social housing authority. (The Real Deal · New York)
2. Photo: Daily News
   Local Law 97 costs remain a co-op flashpoint. The writer says the rule could bankrupt co-op shareholders. The writer also claims that NYCHA, city-owned buildings and houses of worship are exempt. The law has not changed, so boards should keep compliance plans on track. (Daily News)
3. Photo: LeoTar, CC BY-SA 3.0
   State touts $2.27B in historic rehab tax credits. Program details were not available in the material. Owners of older or landmarked buildings can ask HCR or a tax advisor whether restoration work may qualify. (NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR))
4. Photo: QNS
   New rental supply filed in Jamaica and Greenpoint. Mural Real Estate Partners filed permits for a 14-story, 173-unit building in Jamaica, Queens. QNS says the units will most likely be rentals, averaging 670 square feet. Steven Westreich has proposed a 96-unit building in Greenpoint. (QNS, Crain's New York)

Operational deltas

What to do

• Pay your listing broker yourself and disclose every tenant fee, including credit check fees, in each listing.
• Respond to any DCWP summons and appear at the OATH hearing to avoid a default finding.
• Audit renewal increases on 421a units with preferential rents to confirm the base you are using.
• Check rooftops and water towers for nesting birds before scheduling demolition or repair work.
• Screen clients against income and asset limits, then file one Housing Connect application per household before 11/18/2026 or 11/19/2026.
• Keep your Local Law 97 compliance plan on schedule and track election results for rent-stabilization changes.