Queens News - Local News

Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani’s pledge is raising alarms as bankers refuse to finance regulated buildings where costs outstrip income. This article originally apeared in The City. By Greg David The City August 9, 2025 NEW YORK - Every month, Langsam Property Services collects dozens of rent checks from two buildings it manages in The Bronx. But that’s not enough to cover the mortgage and operating expenses. So every month, the buildings’ owner sends another check — for at least $30,000, just to meet the mortgage. The owner of this Bronx building had to pay the bank $830,000 to buy out his mortgage after no other bank would refinance. A promise to freeze rents on all rent-regulated apartments for the next four years helped Zohran Mamdani win the Democratic primary for mayor. But not all rent-regulated buildings are alike.  Following years of limited deregulation, many buildings in high-rent neighborho...

  The aims of the bills, which include curbing illegal evictions and keeping tenants safe during heatwaves, were broadly supported by those testifying — but implementation challenges lingered. This article originally appeared in The City. By  Rachel Kahn NEW YORK - The City Council took one step closer to expanding protections for tenants against illegal evictions and mandating that all tenant-occupied buildings have access to cooling during the summer. In a committee hearing, council members heard testimony on a slate of bills addressing the issues. Councilmember Lincoln Restler, who is the primary sponsor of the air conditioning bill, acknowledged that the bills were “bold” but maintained that they were necessary — especially because extreme temperatures are the “number one climate killer.” “It’s not wildfire, or hurricanes, or tornadoes,” he said. “It’s heat.” Though currently city landlords are required to provide heat in residential buildings during “heat season...