Rent-stabilized tenants may be a dying breed

Rent-controlled apartments are slowly diminishing according to the New York Times. The number of rent-stabilized units in the city dropped to 848,000 in 2008, according to the State Division of Housing and Community Renewal, down from 900,000 in 2003. The cause of the decline is rampant disrepair among such buildings, according to some tenants’ rights advocates. One such tenant, John Burke, who pays $288 a month for his studio at 218 East 84th Street, said that he’s spent $13,500 to do repairs on his unit himself, and that taking his landlord to court to keep his home has cost him $11,000 in legal fees. Still, he believes the fight is worth it. “I have been fighting for other tenants and myself,” Burke said. “We can leave a road map showing people how to win.” [NYT]