3972

COUNTY LOCAL LAWS

29-47 title "Legislative Findings and Intent", to
acknowledge the need for an extraordinary rent increase
procedure; Section 29-48, title "Definitions" to define
affidavit, capital improvements, extraordinary rent
increase, person aggrieved, and renovation; Section 29-49,
title "Administrative Enforcement and Penalties" to provide
for application to Section 29-55(c), (d), 29-59(b), 29-61,
and 29-63(b) of Article VI; Section 29-50, title
"Application" to make reference to rent stabilization;
Section 29-54, title "Scope, Operation and Review" to extend
the Voluntary Rent Guidelines through January 31, 1981, and
to exempt from coverage certain dwelling units vacant after
July 1, 1976, and those having monthly rents in excess of
$600 as of March 31, 1979; Section 29-55, title "Rent
Adjustments and Guidelines" to establish a new voluntary
rent guideline of 7.6% and to require landlords exceeding
the guideline to provide specific documentation to the
Office of Landlord-Tenant Affairs and affected tenants and
to require the Executive Director and/or the Commission to
use certain criteria to evaluate the landlord's
justification; Section 29-56, title "Notice Requirements
applicable to Rent Adjustment" to require notice of rent
increases to be sent simultaneously to tenants and the
Office of Landlord-Tenant Affairs and include in the rent
increase notice the average rent increase pursuant to
Section 29-55(c); Section 29-57, title, "Maintenance and
Availability of Records" to require landlords to maintain
records for a period of three years; Section 29-58, title
"Complaints, Investigations, Hearings Reports and Data
Availability" to provide for a public hearing before the
Executive Director of the Office of Landlord-Tenant Affairs
or the Commission and a thirty day time limit for the
Commission to issue decisions and to exempt the hearings
from the County Administrative Procedures Act; and to add a
new Subtitle, "Extraordinary Rent Increases" to provide for
application to dwelling units in a rental facility whenever
rents for individual dwelling units are increased by 10% or
more; Section 29-60, title "Complaints and Investigations"
to grant authority to the Executive Director for receiving
complaints, conducting investigations, and hearings; Section
29-61, title "Rent Escrow Requirements" to provide for
deposit of unjustified rent increases in an interest bearing
escrow account; Section 29-62, title "Commission Hearings"
to provide authority to the Commission to conduct hearings,
order rent reductions and rebates; Section 29-65, title
"Rent Adjustments, Standards" to provide for standards for
evaluating a landlord's justification for an Extraordinary
Rent Increase; to transfer the subtitle "Tenants Rights" to
Article IV, title "Landlord-Tenant Obligations" and to
authorize the Commission to reduce rents commensurate with
the cost of elimination or reduction of certain services;
and to make certain other technical changes.

Effective Date March 29, 1979.

Bill No. 4-79