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It makes me glad I never owned a home, or had any money to invest in real estate. It's good to be poor, but still able to pay your rent and bills each month. I live in a small apartment complex in Rome, New York. The landlord has owned this property for many years, built it, and the family also owns a lot of other property in the city, residential and business. They are not slum landlords. They've certainly taken care of the old people who live in their properties. I am one of them. Been here 22 years. That's the longest I've ever lived anywhere, even in the house I grew up in. When something breaks, they take care of it within a day or two. If it's a serious problem, it's taken care of immediately. They are responsible owners, and have been for decades. I know they check the credit history of everyone who rents from them, but despite that, they've been stiffed on many occasions by people who have moved out without giving them any notice. That comes with renting property to people. Every landlord takes a chance when they rent to someone. A person can have a good credit score, yet be a terrible and troublesome neighbor. Someone who has built up their reputation, and business for years, shouldn't have their hands tied in order to protect that business from slug tenants. There's plenty of those individuals even with credit checks. I can't imagine what it will be like if this proposal is passed. I know it will cause landlords to raise the rents of their trustworthy residents, to cover for the rent loss on the bad ones they are forced to rent to. Don't these politicians realize that when the landlord is protecting himself from damage to his property, and possible financial ruin, that he is also protecting his reliable tenants as well?

Democrats control the State Legislature on a two to one ratio. It's a lonely world for a Republican who sits in the Assembly and the Senate in Albany.

We have completely rehabbed/remodeled the two duplexes that we own at our own (pretty substantial) expense. New electric 200 amp service, in some cases siding, all new replacement windows, new furnace and water heaters, new drywall, new plumbing, new flooring, bathroom and kitchen sinks, toilets, countertops, new frig and stove with W/D hookups and off street parking. 1 2 bdrm unit and 3 3 bdrm units. All safe, sanitary, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors hardwired, passed the CO and in that town there is a landlord registry.

We fix anything that day, hands down. Of course there is little to fix b/c we’ve pretty much replaced it all with new. That is why we are VERY selective when it comes to tenants. Would rather see it go vacant than rent to someone who is going to tear it up and not pay rent. Of course the BLUE states want to FINE property owners for keeping their units vacant...