The Loft Law Amendment (also referred to as Expanded Loft Law) is a New York law that created a new window period for recognition of loft tenants that previously did not qualify under the original 1982 Loft Law.
The purpose of this bill is to extend provisions of the Loft Law to buildings which have been occupied residentially for 12 consecutive months during the period starting January 1, 2008 and ending December 31, 2009.
Senator Martin Malave Dilan introduced the "Expanded Loft Law" in the Senate in 2010. The 2010 version of the bill is coded as S7178A. The bill was amended in May 2010 and passed in the New York State Assembly (A05667C) on June 3, 2010. On June 8, 2010, the New York State Senate passed the “Expanded Loft Law”, bill S7178A. The bill awaits the Governor’s approval.
Amends the definition of loft dwellings to include commercial or manufacturing buildings occupied for residential purposes for 12 consecutive months during the period starting 1/1/08 and ending 12/31/09, and extends existing Loft Law protections to tenants in these buildings;
Requires that non-residential space in such buildings be offered for residential use only after a residential certificate of occupancy has been obtained for such space;
Requires owners of loft buildings to achieve compliance with the standards of safety and fire protection, and take reasonable and necessary action to obtain certificate of occupancy as a class A multiple dwelling for the residential portion of the building;
Authorizes the Loft Board to extend any compliance deadline which an owner is unable to meet for reasons beyond his or her control;
Authorizes the Loft Board, upon good cause shown, to twice extend the time of compliance with the requirement to obtain a residential certificate of occupancy for periods not to exceed 12 months each;
Allows owners of such buildings to apply to the Loft Board for an exemption of a building if the owner can show it would cause an unjustifiable hardship;
Provides that these interim multiple dwellings become subject to the New York City Rent Stabilization Law after they are legalized; and
Makes the Loft Law permanent.
