ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – We told you about the questions around Albany’s Residential Occupancy Permits after that fatal fire on Western Avenue. An attorney from the Legal Aid Society has more on what tenants should do to protect themselves.
Robert Romaker is the managing attorney at Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York. He works with housing advocates in the Albany office, mostly focused on eviction cases. He said the Albany ordinance on Residential Occupancy Permits (ROP) is clear.
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“That if you don’t have an ROP, then you can’t collect rent. So in the other cities the ordinances, either they don’t have one or they’re not nearly as strong as the one in Albany. So we see more ROP issues more in the city of Albany than we do anywhere else,” said Romaker.
Code enforcement issues those ROP’s but first landlords must apply. He said there’s a fee and they do an inspection…