Commercial rent control bill stalls

A City Council bill that would create a kind of commercial rent control has stalled at City Hall. The bill, introduced by Upper Manhattan Council member Robert Jackson, would require landlords and tenants to participate in mediation and arbitration if they can’t agree on a fair rent for a commercial space. The Small Business Survival Act currently has support from 33 council members. But Council Speaker Christine Quinn has said she will not bring the bill to a vote because she isn’t sure whether the proposed regulation is legal. Quinn’s critics say she isn’t supporting the bill because she does not want to regulate landlords who support her.