Tenant Entitled to Continued Preferential Rent on Renewal

Landlord sued to evict rent-stabilized tenant for nonpayment of rent. Tenant claimed that landlord was charging more than the legal rent. Landlord previously had charged tenant a preferential rent. Landlord refused to continue the preferential rent in tenant's most recent renewal lease. The court ruled for tenant. In a prior court settlement agreement signed in 2000, landlord had agreed that ''T's rent will be at a preferential amount of $580 per mo. All T's increases will be taken off that amount.'' Landlord, therefore, agreed to add future rent guidelines increases to tenant's preferential rent upon lease renewal. The court enforced the prior settlement agreement.

45-55 Realty LLC v. Covin: NYLJ, 9/27/06, p. 23, col. 3 (Civ. Ct. Kings; Heymann, J)