Over 300 NYC rent-stabilized apartments back on affordable housing market

NEW YORK (PIX11) – Over 300 rent-stabilized apartments in central Brooklyn, upper Manhattan, and Queens have been added back to the affordable housing market, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Tuesday.

The apartments were illegally deregulated or were subject to illegal rent increases by former landlords and building owners associated with the Sentinel Real Estate Corporation, according to James.

“Rent-regulated apartments make it possible for countless New York families to find a safe and affordable place to live,” James said. “The previous owners of these buildings broke the law to pad their pockets and denied hardworking families a rightful home. Because we were able to return these units to the rent regulation program, more than 300 families will be able to access the affordable housing they deserve. I thank the new owners for their cooperation and will continue to work with our partners at HCR to protect affordable housing across New York.”

In August 2022, an investigation found that Sentinel-affiliated companies had transferred some buildings to new owners after illegally raising rents. Landlords upgraded rent-stabilized apartments and raised rents using a system called Individual Apartment Investments, which allowed rent increases for unit improvements, according to court documents.

The affected buildings were owned by landlords affiliated with Sentinel—Newcastle Realty Services, LLC (Newcastle) and Highcastle Management, LLC (Highcastle). These landlords inflated renovation costs for rent-stabilized apartments to deregulate them and charge tenants market rates, according to James’ office.

The 27 buildings reverted to rent-stabilized units by the attorney general’s office and Homes and Community Renewal are listed below.

Brooklyn

• 921 Washington Avenue
• 941 Washington Avenue
• 80 Woodruff Avenue
• 2105 Foster Avenue
• 70 Dahill Road
• 230 Ocean Parkway
• 483 Ocean Parkway
• 100 Lefferts Avenue
• 65 Ocean Avenue
• 31 Ocean Parkway

Manhattan

• 351 W 125th Street
• 612 W 144th Street
• 676 Riverside Drive
• 66 Ft. Washington Avenue
• 828 Riverside Drive
• 1090 Saint Nicholas Avenue
• 974 Saint Nicholas Avenue
• 80 Fort Washington Avenue
• 86 Fort Washington Avenue
• 651 W 188th Street
• 336 Fort Washington Avenue
• 130 Wadsworth Avenue
• 220 Wadsworth Avenue
• 854 West 180th Street
• 643 West 171st Street

Queens

• 30-60 29th Street
• 118-80 Metropolitan Avenue

Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here .

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