When you think of New York’s rent-stabilized housing stock, you may not think of Staten Island.
Indeed, the borough is only home to less than 1 percent of rent-stabilized housing units, 8,200 out of about 928,000.
But that’s where a group of landlords filed a petition to undo the New York Rent Guidelines Board’s decision to freeze rents in those units.
The city is now asking the court to change the venue of the dispute to Manhattan.
It may seem like a small matter, but the venue is stands to impact either side’s chance of victory.
The judge assigned to the case in Richmond County Supreme Court, Ralph Porzio, is a Republican. He has a history of conservative decisions, including striking down mask and vaccine mandates in the five boroughs.
Perhaps sensing a hostile forum, the city’s law department has said the petition should be decided in Manhattan, where the RGB technically made its decision. (The vote was held at El Museo del Barrio in East Harlem.)
The plaintiffs and their attorneys have argued that Staten Island is an appropriate venue because the lead plaintiff owns two rent-stabilized buildings in the borough (the other plaintiffs own buildings in other boroughs). And the board’s decision and process were made partially in Staten Island. (The board, for example, accepted testimony from landlords in Staten Island as part of its process.)
“In this case, every one of the five counties in New York City would be a proper venue for this proceeding because material events took place, and none of them is more ‘proper’ than another,” Randy Mastro, lead attorney for the plaintiffs, wrote to the court.
The issue is set for a hearing in Staten Island at the end of the month.
What we’re thinking about: Applications to run the city-backed property and liability insurance program are closing this week. Who’s in the running? Talk to us at ben.miller@therealdeal.com and lilah.burke@therealdeal.com.
A thing we’ve learned: The average net profit for grocery store chains was just 2.1 percent in 2025, a slight improvement from 1.7 percent the year prior, according to the Food Industry Association. Rather than relying on profit margins, the industry is held up by its large volume and high turnover rate.
— Spencer Davis
Elsewhere…
— Council Speaker Julie Menin announced that City Council will pursue a sweeping legislative review of e-bike and e-scooter safety after a teenage e-bike rider crashed into an SUV near City Hall and died, City & State reports. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he will also prioritize cracking down on vehicles already classified as illegal.
— Mayor Zohran Mamdani dismissed all of the business and civic leaders advising a city-affiliated nonprofit that facilitates private-public partnerships, Bloomberg reports. Mamdani will announce a new board of advisers for the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City later this year, his spokesperson said.
— Over 2,000 toddlers will receive a 2-K offer as part of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s push to build universal childcare in New York City, Gothamist reports. The figure is nearly a third of the 5,700 families that applied for the city’s inaugural preschool program for two-year-olds.
— Spencer Davis
Closing time
Residential: The most expensive residential sale recorded Tuesday was $12.9 million for a 3,800-square-foot multi-family home at 332 Degraw Street in Cobble Hill. The property last traded for $4 million in 2024.
Commercial: The most expensive commercial transaction was $5.7 million for a 6,096-square-foot multi-family property at 349 West 71st Street on the Upper West Side. The property last sold for $3.6 million in 2005. Stanley Wong at Compass had the listing.
New to the Market: The highest price for a residential property hitting the market was $4.4 million for a 1,283-square-foot condominium at 25 Columbus Circle on the Upper West Side. Douglas Elliman has the listing.
Breaking Ground: The largest new building permit filed was for a proposed 48,016-square-foot, nine-story mixed-use project with 80 units at 149-07 97th Avenue in Flushing. Joseph Frankl of JFA Architects & Engineers filed the permit on behalf of Joel Weiss of Heartfelt Townhouse Build.
— Matthew Elo
Read more
NY Dirt: Who’s who in the rent freeze lawsuit
Landlords sue Rent Guidelines Board over rent freeze decision
NY Dirt: Here come the rent freeze lawsuits
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