The National Association of REALTORS® joined the New York State Association of REALTORS® and a coalition of industry partners to ask the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York for permission to file an amicus brief in support of housing providers challenging New York’s Rent Stabilization Law (RSL). A ruling on the request to file the brief is pending before the court.
The case, filed by small-scale housing providers and a group representing the interests of small property owners, centers on questions related to how rent-stabilization requirements affect the use and management of rental housing, with a specific focus on the issue of vacant units. Under current law, vacancy leases under the RSL require owners to rent apartments at rates tied to what prior tenants paid.
If approved for filing, NAR’s brief will highlight both legal and policy arguments on how rent-regulation policies negatively affect housing supply, property maintenance and long-term market conditions.
NAR Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy Officer Shannon McGahn highlighted the filing as part of the association’s broader legal advocacy efforts. “This is another example of NAR advocating for members and property owners when policy decisions are made,” McGahn says, noting that legal engagement is one of several tools the association uses to address housing‑related issues.
Caitlin Vannoy, NAR’s director of legal advocacy adds, “Through this amicus brief, we aim to provide the court with a clear understanding of how overly restrictive rent regulations can limit housing supply, discourage investment in property maintenance and create long‑term challenges for both housing providers and renters. Policies that promote investment and increased supply are critical to creating a stable, sustainable housing market.”
The court filing was made following approval by NAR’s Amicus Brief Advisory Board, which evaluates cases that raise issues of significance to the real estate industry and private property rights. Through this process, NAR determines whether participation may help provide courts with real estate-specific perspectives on the potential effects of laws and regulations.
New York’s Rent Stabilization Law has been the subject of ongoing legal review at multiple levels of the courts. The current case represents one of several legal challenges addressing how rent regulation frameworks operate in practice as states and municipalities continue to explore strategies aimed at housing affordability and tenant protections.
