Sherwin Belkin, Co-Founding Partner of BBG, was recently featured in a City Limits article titled “Supreme Court Tosses Lingering Challenges to Rent Stabilization in NY.”
On February 20, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court has denied the petitions for certiorari challenging New York City’s 2019 HSTPA rent stabilization law. In a separate opinion, Justice Thomas did say that rent regulation is worthy of SCOTUS review at a future time predicated upon a case where the constitutional infringements are pled with greater specificity, emphasizing the significant constitutional questions surrounding tenant protections and landlord rights. The dismissed lawsuits contended that the rent stabilization law was unconstitutional in certain respects, especially criticizing its effects on property values and the rights of landlords.
In the article, Mr. Belkin expressed his anticipation that landlords might pursue more precise challenges against the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act (HSTPA). He speculated, “In the future, we may see cases that target specific aspects of the HSTPA, rather than its entirety, to address particular concerns of landlords.”
For more information, a copy of the decision can be found here: https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/022024zor_7647.pdf.