Landlords offer to rent out vacant apts IF state weakens tenant protections

The Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP), an association of owners of rent stabilized buildings, is offering to rent out vacant apartments if the state will roll back some of the protections of the 2019 Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act.  

https://www.amny.com/opinion/op-ed-there-are-20000-affordable-empty-apartments-in-nyc-lets-get-them-unlocked/

EXCERPT:

Fixing this problem would actually not cost the government anything. It would also not raise the rent one cent on any existing tenants. [Emphasis added.] The government just needs to let the property owners set a new first rent on the unit that will allow them to justify the renovation costs needed to fix up the apartment. Doing this would create an instant boom in housing supply in all neighborhoods of the city. It would also create a lot of jobs. CHIP estimates that recapturing these units could create $1.5 billion to $2 billion in economic activity over the next nine months. 

Affordable housing shouldn't be solely for those who already have it - although that affordability must be protected. Those 70,000 vacant rent-stabilized units should be put back on the market for those who need them.

In addition, CHIP can't legitimately complain that it's not worth their while to rent out vacant apartments. Landlords not making a fair return on investment can always open their books to DHCR and ask for a hardship increase. They don't do it because they are making more than a 5% profit. If it's not worth it for them to be landlords at their current rate of return, they're free to stop being landlords. 

Meanwhile, holding 70,000 vacant rent-stabilized apartments off the market to pressure Albany seems awfully close to hostage-taking - especially with many lower-income people whose vouchers would cover the rents.