DHCR FACT SHEET #8
Division of Housing and Community Renewal

EMERGENCY TENANT PROTECTION ACT OF 1974 (ETPA)
CHAPTER 576 LAWS OF 1974 AS LAST AMENDED

This bulletin provides only general information concerning ETPA.
For specific information, refer to the full text of the Act.

In Nassau, Rockland and Westchester counties, rent stabilization
applies to non-rent controlled apartments in buildings of six or
more units built before January 1, 1974 in localities that have
declared an emergency and adopted ETPA. In order for rents to be
placed under regulation, there has to be a rental vacancy rate of
less than 5% for all or any class or classes of rental housing
accommodations. Some municipalities limit ETPA to buildings of a
specific size, for instance, buildings with 20 or more units.

Certain types of housing accommodations are not included in the
provisions of ETPA, for example: housing accommodations in
buildings containing less than six dwelling units; rent
controlled apartments; motor courts, tourist homes, non-profit
units, all governmentally supervised housing; and housing
accommodations in buildings completed on, or after, January 1,
1974.

Each municipality declaring an emergency and adopting local
legislation pays the cost of administering ETPA in Nassau,
Rockland and Westchester counties. In turn, each municipality can
charge the owners of housing accommodations a fee (up to $10 per
unit per year) as the Act provides.

The local rent guidelines boards (one each in Nassau, Rockland,
and Westchester counties) set maximum allowable rates for rent
increases in stabilized apartments. These guidelines rates are
set once a year and are effective for leases beginning on or
after October 1st of each year.

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DHCR Fact Sheets (series of thirty) are issued by the New York
State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) as plain-
english informational publications.  For official agency
policies, see DHCR Policy Statements, Advisory Opinions and
Operational Bulletins. Also refer to the Rent Stabilization Code,
the Rent Stabilization Law and various Rent Control Statutes.

Electronic versions of these documents on TenantNet are for
informational purposes only and there is no guarantee they will
be accepted by any court (or even DHCR) as true copies of DHCR
policy. The reader may obtain true copies of these documents from
DHCR.

Every attempt has been made to conform to the original Fact
Sheets as issued by DHCR; TenantNet makes no
representation the enclosed material is current or will be
applied as written.  The reader is advised that DHCR often fails
to properly apply, interpret or enforce housing laws.  Since
housing laws are complex and often contradictory, it is
recommended the reader obtain competent legal advice from a
tenant attorney or counseling from a tenant association or
community group. (rev. 3/13/96) DHCR documents
are public documents; the electronic version of such documents
have been developed by TenantNet and any added value, enhancements
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TenantNet. These documents may be freely distributed provided they
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For more information or assistance, call the DHCR Rent Infoline
at (718) 739-6400, or visit your Borough Rent Office.

Queens Central Office
92-31 Union Hall St. 4th Fl.
Jamaica, NY 11433
(718) 739-6400

Bronx
One Fordham Plaza
Bronx, NY 10458
(718) 563-5678

Brooklyn
250 Schermerhorn St.
3rd Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 780-9246

Lower Manhattan
156 William Street
9th Floor
NY, NY 10038
(212) 240-6011, 6012
South side of 110th St. and below

Upper Manhattan
163 W. 125th St.
5th Floor
NY, NY 10027
(212) 961-8930
North side of 110th St. and above

Staten Island
350 St. Mark's Place
Room 105
Staten island, NY 10301
(718) 816-0277

Nassau County District Rent Office
50 Clinton Street, 6th Floor
Hempstead, NY 11550
(516) 481-9494

Westchester County District Rent Office
55 Church Street, 3rd Floor
White Plains, NY 10601
(914) 948-4434

Rockland County District Rent Office
94-96 North Main St.
Spring Valley, NY 10977
(914) 425-6575

Albany Regional Office
119 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12210
(518) 432-0596

Buffalo Regional Office
Ellicot Square Building
295 Main St., Room 438
Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 856-1382

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