The Yak Management Blog

DOB NOW for Owners

Your architect files, but the application cannot be submitted until you personally sign it in DOB NOW. The account you need, the attestation, and how to check status.

485-x: What Replaced 421-a

The Affordable Neighborhoods for New Yorkers exemption is tiered by building size — and the 6-to-10-unit tier outside Manhattan has an option the larger tiers do not.

Amending the By-laws

Under BCL 601 shareholders amend the by-laws by a majority of votes cast — and a board's power to amend, where it exists at all, is always subordinate to theirs.

The Business Judgment Rule

What a NYC co-op or condo board can decide without a court second-guessing it, where Levandusky protection ends, and how Fletcher v. Dakota changed the risk for individual directors.

Certification of No Harassment

If your building is on HPD's CONH list, you cannot get a DOB permit for covered work without a certification first — and the covered work is broader than owners expect.

Condo Liens vs. Co-op Arrears

What a NYC board can actually do when an owner stops paying. The condo common charge lien under RPL 339-z, why a co-op's position is different, and what not to assume.

Co-op & Condo Board Budget Season

How a NYC co-op or condo board builds next year's operating budget: what drives the increase, why reserves are a policy choice and not a legal minimum, and how to hold the vote.

Board Conflicts of Interest

An interested director transaction is not automatically void in New York. BCL 713 sets out exactly how a board makes one valid — and what happens when it skips the steps.

Board Elections & Annual Meetings

Notice, quorum, proxies and inspectors of election — how a NYC co-op or condo annual meeting is actually run, and why quorum is the thing that fails.

Board Minutes & Records

BCL 624 requires a co-op to keep minutes of shareholder, board and executive committee meetings — but the statutory inspection right is narrower than boards assume.

Board Officer Duties

What a president, treasurer and secretary actually do on a NYC co-op or condo board — and why officer titles change responsibilities without changing fiduciary duty.

Master Policy vs. HO-6

Bare walls, single entity or all-in — the building's master policy decides what a unit owner's HO-6 must cover. Plus the loss assessment limit almost nobody has raised.

The Co-op & Condo Tax Abatement

Tiered from 17.5% to 28.1% by average assessed value — and forfeitable for the whole building if the prevailing wage affidavit is missed. What boards need to track.

Sublet Policy & Sublet Fees

A board's guide to setting and administering a sublet policy — term limits, fees, approval process, waiting lists, and the fee exemption that is no longer reliable.

The Underlying Mortgage

The building's blanket mortgage is the largest number on a co-op's balance sheet and the one most boards think about last. What maturity means, and when to start.

Cost Segregation

Accelerating depreciation is a timing strategy, not free money. What a cost segregation study does, how recapture claws part of it back, and the retroactivity limit.

Deed Theft

Deed theft targets inherited, vacant and lien-encumbered Brooklyn property. New York made it a crime in July 2024. The warning signs, the risk factors, and what to do.

D&O Insurance for Boards

What directors and officers coverage protects a volunteer NYC board member from, how indemnification under BCL 722 and 723 works alongside it, and the gaps boards discover too late.

Drafting & Enforcing House Rules

A board's guide to house rules — where the authority comes from, why consistency matters more than content, and the enforcement ladder that avoids litigation.

E-Bike & Lithium Battery Rules

What Local Law 39 actually regulates, the six-device threshold for a shared charging room, the FDNY bulletin every residential building must post, and why a blanket ban can backfire.

The FARE Act & Broker Fees

Local Law 119 of 2024 shifted the broker fee to whoever hires the broker. What it means for a Brooklyn owner listing a vacancy, the penalties, and where the litigation landed.

The Good Guy Guarantee

A limited personal guaranty that ends when the tenant hands back the keys. Why it exists, what it does and does not cover, and the drafting details that decide whether it works.

The Alternative Enforcement Program

AEP selects the city's most distressed buildings once a year. Owners get four months to discharge — and missing that window is what puts a building on the CONH list.

Local Law 55: Indoor Allergens

The Asthma-Free Housing Act requires an annual notice, an annual inspection for mold and pests, and remediation — in every multiple dwelling of three or more units.

Your First Year on the Board

What a new NYC director needs to read, ask and understand in the first ninety days — the documents, the duties, the protections, and the questions nobody tells you to ask.

The ACP-5 Asbestos Filing

Almost any DOB-permitted work in a pre-1987 NYC building needs an ACP-5 from a DEP-certified asbestos investigator first. The owner is responsible, not the contractor.

Backflow Prevention Requirements

A backflow device needs testing every 12 months by a certified tester, signed by a Licensed Master Plumber, filed with DEP within 30 days. Miss it and DEP can shut off the water.

Building Energy Grades

Buildings over 25,000 sq ft must post an A-to-D energy grade in the lobby by 31 October each year. What the grades mean, what an F signals, and the $1,250 penalty.

Why Insurance Premiums Rose

Reinsurance, weather, inflation and New York's litigation environment — the four drivers behind a hard habitational market, and the handful of things an owner can control.

NYC Composting Rules for Owners

Separating food and yard waste is mandatory citywide, and fines resumed on 1 January 2026. The tiers, the amounts, and what a small Brooklyn building actually has to set up.

The 2027 Elevator Deadline

Two retroactive elevator requirements land on 1 January 2027 — single-plunger brakes and door restrictors — and a third was due in 2020. What each one costs a board to fix.

Fire Safety Notices & FEP

Close-the-door notices on every stairwell door, an annual bulletin, and a preparedness guide and checklist distributed to residents. What FDNY requires of a multiple dwelling.

Rat Mitigation Zones

In a Rat Mitigation Zone, private property is inspected twice a year. A Commissioner's Order to Abate starts a four-week clock, summonses run $300 to $2,000, and the city can bill you.

NYC Trash Bin Rules for Buildings

Full enforcement of the official NYC Bin requirement starts 8 September 2026. What buildings of 1-9, 10-30 and 31+ units must do, the set-out times, and the fines.

Water Tank Inspection Rules

If your building has a rooftop drinking water tank, it needs an annual inspection by a PE or RA and a report filed with DOHMH by 15 January. What the inspection covers.

The Annual Parapet Observation

Local Law 126 requires an annual parapet observation on nearly every NYC building fronting the street — including the walk-ups that are exempt from FISP. Due 31 December.

Passing a Building to Heirs

New York's estate tax has a cliff: exceed 105% of the exemption and the whole estate is taxed from the first dollar. A Brooklyn building can push a family over it.

Reading Your Building's Financials

A director's guide to the co-op or condo financial statement: what the balance sheet and income statement actually tell you, and the four numbers worth reading first.

Resale & Refinance Questionnaires

The lender questionnaire is the transactional work that most directly affects whether a shareholder's deal closes — and the one boards delegate without ever setting a standard.

Reserve Studies

New York does not require a reserve study for an existing building. Here is what one contains, when it earns its fee, and why boards that have one stop arguing in percentages.

Restaurant Tenants Upstairs of You

A food tenant is the highest-rent and highest-risk ground-floor use in Brooklyn. Venting, grease, waste, hours and pests — and why the residential tenants above are your problem.

The RPIE Filing

Income-producing NYC property over $40,000 assessed value must file an RPIE by 1 June. Miss it and you face a penalty — and lose the right to challenge your assessment.

Special Assessments

When an assessment is the right instrument and when it is a way of avoiding a maintenance increase — plus how to structure, authorize and communicate one properly.

Sponsor Units & Unsold Shares

Holders of unsold shares sublet without board approval and were long exempt from sublet fees. Pastena changed that, then Bellstell narrowed it. What a board needs to check.

When Renovation Triggers Sprinklers

A major alteration in a pre-1968 non-sprinklered residential building can trigger a full-building sprinkler installation. The 75% threshold that catches gut renovations.

A Vacant Storefront

An empty ground floor costs more than the lost rent. What it does to the residential tenancies above, and how owners talk themselves into holding out too long.

Yellowstone & Commercial Default

What happens to a landlord's default notice when a commercial tenant runs to court — and why the Yellowstone waiver in your older leases is now void by statute.

1031 Exchanges for Brooklyn Investors

How a 1031 exchange works, the deadlines that govern it, and why management quality on the replacement property decides whether the deferral was worth it.

Basement & Cellar Apartments in NYC

Basement and cellar apartments are common in Brooklyn and frequently not legal. The difference that decides it, the risks, and how owners should approach it.

Brooklyn Rental Property Returns

Where returns on a Brooklyn rental actually come from — NOI, vacancy, expense discipline, and the regulatory status that changes the whole model.

Brownstone Property Management in Brooklyn

Brooklyn brownstones fail differently than modern buildings — facades, party walls, flat roofs, landmark rules, and subdivided units with legal-use questions.

Changing Your Building's Managing Agent

When a board should switch managing agents, how to run the search, what the notice and transition require, and the records that must transfer completely.

City of Yes & Office-to-Residential Conversion

NYC zoning reform and the 467-m conversion incentive changed what some buildings can become. How owners should approach it, and where the real constraints sit.

Commercial vs. Residential Tenants in NYC

Two tenancies, two bodies of law. How commercial and residential leases, protections, and remedies differ — and what that means in a mixed-use building.

Condo Board Approval for Renting

How condo lease approval actually works in NYC — what goes in the package, what a board can and cannot require, and why most delays are self-inflicted.

The Co-op Board Package

What a NYC co-op board package contains, how the review and interview work, what boards may and may not consider, and why consistency protects the board.

Good Cause Eviction in NYC

New York's Good Cause Eviction law changed how many market-rate tenancies end and renew. What it covers, what's exempt, and what owners must do differently.

Inherited a Rental Property in Brooklyn

A step-by-step sequence for inherited Brooklyn property — establishing legal use, tenancy status, regulation, and condition before deciding to keep or sell.

New Construction Lease-Up in Brooklyn

Leasing up a new Brooklyn building is a distinct project — absorption pacing, pricing the first leases, tax-benefit obligations, and standing up operations.

Owning Brooklyn Property From Out of State

What actually breaks for remote Brooklyn landlords — unmonitored notices, slow showings, unchecked vendor pricing — and the systems that prevent each one.

Managing Property During Divorce or Estate Administration

When ownership is contested or in administration, a building still needs running. How neutral management protects the asset and the parties' positions.

Appealing Your NYC Property Tax Assessment

NYC property tax assessments can be challenged annually. How the process works for Tax Class 2 owners, the deadlines that govern it, and what evidence matters.

Renting Out Your Brooklyn Condo

What it actually takes to lease your Brooklyn condo — bylaws, board approval, pricing, screening, and the carrying costs that decide whether it clears.

Airbnb & Short-Term Rentals in NYC

Local Law 18 reshaped short-term rentals in New York City. What owners can and cannot do, how registration works, and why most Airbnb plans do not survive it.

Summer Property Prep for NYC Owners

Cooling season, roof and drainage, pests, and water intrusion — what Brooklyn owners should handle before summer, and the rules that still apply in July.

Renting a Two-Family House in Brooklyn

Two-family houses are Brooklyn's most common rental property. Owner-occupied rules, screening a neighbor, legal use, and what changes when you move out.

NYC Boiler Inspection Requirements

NYC requires annual boiler inspections filed with DOB. What owners owe, who can inspect, and why Local Law 87 is a different rule entirely.

DOB Violations vs. HPD Violations

DOB and HPD violations are different systems with different cures. How ECB/OATH violations work, what Class 1 means, and how to actually clear them.

NYC Elevator Inspection Requirements

NYC elevators need an annual inspection and CAT1 test, plus a CAT5 every five years. What owners file, the independence rule, and closing out defects.

FISP / Local Law 11: Facade Inspections

Does Local Law 11 apply to your Brooklyn building? A plain-English guide to FISP: the six-story rule, five-year cycles, QEWI reports, and sidewalk sheds.

Local Law 152: Gas Piping Inspections

Local Law 152 requires gas piping inspections every four years by community district. What Brooklyn owners must file, who can inspect, and the deadlines.

Winterizing Your NYC Rental Property Checklist

Prepare an NYC rental for winter with a checklist for boilers, heat, pipes, roofs, gutters, windows, snow plans, emergency supplies, and tenant notices.

7 Signs It's Time to Hire a Property Manager

Seven signs it may be time to hire a manager for your NYC rental, including compliance pressure, repair delays, tenant issues, vacancy, and limited time.

What Happens When a Rent-Stabilized Tenant Moves Out? Post-HSTPA Rules

What happens when a rent stabilized tenant moves out in NYC: the unit stays stabilized, no vacancy bonus, DHCR registration, and re-renting rules in Brooklyn.

The Ultimate Guide to Property Management in Brooklyn

How property management works across Brooklyn and NYC, what managers do, what it costs, the rent stabilization and HPD rules that matter, and how to choose one.

NYC Tenant Rights: What Every Renter Should Know

Renting in NYC? Know your rights, habitability, heat and hot water, security deposits, rent increases, source-of-income protection, and eviction rules.

NYC Security Deposit Rules: What Landlords Must Know

Understand NYC security deposit rules, including the one-month limit, inspections, lawful deductions, recordkeeping, and the 14-day deadline for returns.

Source-of-Income Discrimination Laws in NYC: What Landlords Must Know

Learn how NYC source-of-income discrimination laws protect voucher holders, which landlord actions are prohibited, and how to screen applicants lawfully.

Section 8 Payment Standards in Brooklyn: What Landlords Earn

Understand Brooklyn Section 8 payment standards, including who sets them, bedroom-size limits, rent reasonableness, tenant portions, and NYCHA subsidy payments.

How to Rent an Apartment in Brooklyn: Full Guide

Navigate renting in Brooklyn, including neighborhood research, budgeting, broker fees, application documents, lease review, move-in costs, and tenant rights.

Do You Need Renter's Insurance in NYC?

Is renter's insurance required in NYC? What it covers, why your landlord's policy won't protect your stuff, and what a Brooklyn renter should look for.

Lease Renewal Compliance: The 90–150 Day Rule for Stabilized Units

Follow NYC's rent stabilized lease renewal timeline, including the 90-to-150-day offer window, tenant response periods, required forms, and compliance steps.

NYC Rent Stabilization: A Guide for Landlords

Understand NYC rent stabilization, including apartment coverage, legal rents, annual increases, renewals, DHCR registration, HSTPA changes, IAIs, and MCIs.

How Much Can You Raise Rent in NYC?

How much can a landlord raise rent in NYC? The answer depends on whether your unit is rent stabilized or free-market. Here are the rules, limits in Brooklyn.

Rent Guidelines Board Increases 2025–2026: What Brooklyn Owners Need to Know

How the NYC Rent Guidelines Board sets 2025-2026 rent increases, when they apply, and how Brooklyn owners of rent stabilized buildings should prepare.

Preventive Maintenance Schedule for Brooklyn Rentals

A season-by-season preventive maintenance checklist for Brooklyn rental properties, boilers, roofs, plumbing, and the HPD compliance tasks landlords can't skip.

Preferential Rent vs. Legal Rent: What Every NYC Landlord Must Track

Preferential rent vs legal rent NYC: what each means, why HSTPA changed the rules, and how Brooklyn landlords must track both to avoid overcharge claims.

NYC Rental Assistance Programs for Landlords: 2026 Directory

A 2026 directory of NYC rental assistance programs for landlords: Section 8/HCV, CityFHEPS, FHEPS, HASA, and HAVP, agencies, paperwork, and rules, at a glance.

NYC Landlord-Tenant Law: The Complete Guide

A plain-English guide to NYC landlord-tenant law, rent stabilization, HPD registration, security deposits, heat rules, Fair Housing, and eviction in Brooklyn.

Every NYC Housing Voucher Program Explained: A Brooklyn Landlord Guide

All NYC housing voucher programs landlord guide: Section 8/HCV, CityFHEPS, FHEPS, HASA, and HAVP, who runs each, how payment works, and your legal duties.

The NYC Eviction Process: Step-by-Step

Understand the NYC eviction process step by step, from required notices and housing court filings to hearings, judgments, warrants, and lawful tenant removal.

Moving to Brooklyn? Everything You Need to Know

Plan your move to Brooklyn with guidance on neighborhoods, rental prices, apartment applications, broker fees, transportation, and settling into the borough.

Most Common HPD Violations in Brooklyn

The HPD violations Brooklyn landlords get cited for most, heat, hot water, leaks, pests, lead paint, plus what each class means and how to avoid them.

MCI Applications in Brooklyn: Timeline, Costs & Approval Process

How Major Capital Improvement (MCI) rent increase applications work in NYC, eligible work, DHCR filing steps, realistic timelines, and post-HSTPA caps.

Lead Paint Disclosure Rules for NYC Landlords

NYC landlords face federal and city lead paint rules, disclosure for pre-1978 units, Local Law 1 duties, and Local Law 31 XRF testing. Here's what you must do.

Lead Paint Compliance for Brooklyn Landlords

A practical guide to lead paint compliance for Brooklyn landlords: Local Law 1 duties, Local Law 31 XRF testing, safe renovation rules, and HPD enforcement.

Tax Deductions Every NYC Landlord Should Know

Review NYC landlord tax deductions, including depreciation, mortgage interest, repairs, insurance, management fees, utilities, and professional expenses.

Landlord Insurance in NYC: What You Need & Costs

Understand landlord insurance in NYC, including dwelling, liability, loss-of-rent, flood, and umbrella coverage, common exclusions, costs, and policy questions.

HSTPA 2019 Explained: What Changed for NYC Landlords

See how HSTPA 2019 changed NYC rent laws, including vacancy deregulation, security deposits, lease renewals, IAIs, MCIs, overcharges, and landlord obligations.

How to Pass a Section 8 HQS Inspection in Brooklyn

An HQS inspection checklist for NYC landlords: what NYCHA and HRA/DSS check, the most common fails, and how to pass the first time for local landlords.

HPD Violations: How to Avoid & Resolve Them

An HPD violation on your Brooklyn building? Learn what the A, B, and C hazard classes mean. Get practical context for Brooklyn owners, landlords, and renters.

How to Submit a Maintenance Request | Yak

Yak Management tenants can follow this step-by-step guide to submit a maintenance request in AppFolio, add photos, explain access, and identify urgent repairs.

How to Price Your Brooklyn Rental (Guide)

A data-driven way to price your Brooklyn rental: how to read comps, factor in rent stabilization, avoid the overpricing trap, and land a great tenant fast.

How to Find & Screen Great Tenants in Brooklyn

Find and screen reliable Brooklyn tenants with guidance on listings, applications, income checks, references, Fair Housing compliance, and lease approval.

How to Handle Late Rent Payments in NYC

Learn how NYC landlords should handle late rent, from documenting missed payments and serving a 14-day demand to filing a lawful housing court case correctly.

How Much Does Property Management Cost in NYC?

See what property management costs in NYC, how percentage and flat fees work, what services are included, and which setup or leasing charges to ask about.

How to Become a Section 8 Landlord in Brooklyn

Become a Section 8 landlord in Brooklyn with guidance on NYCHA and HPD programs, RFTA paperwork, rent approval, HQS inspections, leases, and ongoing compliance.

HASA Vouchers in Brooklyn: What Landlords Need to Know

A Brooklyn landlord's guide to HASA vouchers, who administers them, how payments work, inspection rules, and the source-of-income law you must follow.

10 Things Every First-Time NYC Landlord Needs to Know

Start with ten essentials for first-time NYC landlords, from HPD registration and rent stabilization to tenant screening, leases, deposits, repairs, and taxes.

Emergency Maintenance: What NYC Landlords Must Fix

Know which rental repairs are emergencies in NYC, including no heat, major leaks, gas odors, electrical hazards, and lockouts, plus proper response steps.

DIY vs. Property Manager: The Real Cost

Compare self-managing a NYC rental with hiring a property manager, including time, fees, compliance risk, tenant communication, maintenance, and vacancy costs.

DHCR Registration: A Step-by-Step Guide for Brooklyn Landlords

Register stabilized apartments with DHCR correctly using this Brooklyn guide to deadlines, required data, annual filings, amendments, and common errors.

Crown Heights Rental Market: A Landlord's Guide

Explore the Crown Heights rental market, including rents, housing stock, tenant demand, stabilized units, and key considerations for local property owners.

CityFHEPS vs. Section 8: Which Voucher Pays More in Brooklyn?

CityFHEPS vs Section 8 difference explained for Brooklyn landlords, who administers each voucher, how payment amounts are set, and which pays more in Brooklyn.

The Complete Brooklyn Landlord Guide to Rent Stabilization (2026)

Rent stabilization rules Brooklyn landlords need in 2026, DHCR registration, RGB increases, HSTPA changes, IAIs/MCIs, and voucher tenancies, explained.

CityFHEPS for Brooklyn Landlords: The Complete Guide

How CityFHEPS works for Brooklyn landlords, eligibility, payment standards, inspections, source-of-income law, and how to rent to CityFHEPS tenants correctly.

CityFHEPS Payment Amounts in Brooklyn (2026 Update)

How CityFHEPS payment standards are set in Brooklyn, who sets them, how they interact with legal rent, and what landlords need to verify before signing a lease.

Bushwick Rental Market Report & Landlord Guide

Review the Bushwick rental market, including rent prices, housing stock, tenant demand, seasonality, development, and its stabilized inventory and outlook.

Can Rent-Stabilized Apartments Be Deregulated? (Post-HSTPA)

Can you deregulate a rent stabilized apartment in NYC? Not the way you used to. Here's exactly what HSTPA (2019) changed and what still applies today.

Brooklyn Rental Market Report & Trends (2026)

Review Brooklyn rental market trends for 2026, including neighborhood rents, vacancy, seasonality, concessions, tenant demand, and insights for landlords.

Brooklyn Rent Trends: Quarterly Market Update

Track quarterly Brooklyn rent trends, including neighborhood pricing, seasonality, concessions, vacancy patterns, and takeaways for rental property owners.

Investing in Brooklyn Rental Property

Evaluate Brooklyn rentals using neighborhood research, deal analysis, financing, operating costs, rent stabilization, compliance, and management planning.

How Gentrification Affects Brooklyn Landlords & Tenants

Gentrification reshapes Brooklyn rents, tenant turnover, and compliance risk. Here's how it affects landlords and renters, and how to stay profitable and legal.

Best Property Management Software for Small Landlords

Compare property management software for small NYC landlords, including rent collection, accounting, maintenance tools, tenant portals, pricing, and usability.

Best Brooklyn Neighborhoods for Landlords

Compare Brooklyn neighborhoods for rental property investment using prices, rents, tenant demand, housing stock, transit access, and long-term growth factors.

Bed-Stuy Rental Market Report: Prices & Trends

Review the Bed-Stuy rental market, including rents, housing stock, tenant demand, seasonality, rent stabilization, and considerations for local landlords.