Your state Legislature and City Council were quite active since 2018, passing numerous regulations impacting the co-op/condo/HOA community. To get 2019 started off right, we thought we would share these new requirements and their respective deadlines with you. We include below an executive summary of the new regulations.
As of January 1, 2018, co-op and condo boards were required to annually disclose to shareholders or unit owners any contracts that were awarded where there was an interested director or manager, or the lack of any such contracts.
Co-op and condo boards were required to adopt a smoking policy for all indoor and outdoor areas of their premises by August 27, 2018, and notify all building residents of the established smoking policy.
Co-op and condo boards had until February 28, 2019 to submit an online application to the HPD, certifying how many units had a bedbug infestation in the last year, how many units used eradication measures, and how many units still had bedbugs after the eradication measures were performed.
Effective as of December 6, 2018, co-op and condo owners renting out their units must ask tenants whether any child under the age of six resides in the apartment and comply with any requests for stove knob covers for their tenants' gas-powered stoves.
Buildings whose water usage is billed under the Multi-Family Conservation Program had until December 31, 2018, to certify that at least 70% of units have water-saving toilets, showerheads and faucets installed, otherwise there will be a 10% surcharge on their water bill.
Starting January 1, 2019, buildings with gas piping must have a licensed master plumber inspect the gas piping system at least once every five years, and submit the inspection results to both the NYC Department of Buildings and the utility companies.
New York State law now mandates that co-ops and condos with parking garages above/below grade for multiple units must have an initial inspection conducted by a qualified professional engineer by October 1, 2019 at the earliest, and then periodically inspected every three years (plus any NYC requirements that may be forthcoming).
Co-op and condo boards, in their capacity as employers, are required to distribute a sexual harassment policy, display anti-sexual harassment posters, and have employees undergo interactive sexual harassment prevention training by October 9, 2019, and annually each subsequent year.
For more information, see: "New York Enacts Mandatory Sexual Harassment Requirements for Employers."
By January 1, 2020, all co-ops and condos with automatic elevators in its buildings must confirm that they have elevator door lock monitors in order to comply with the NYC Department of Building's retroactive requirement.