Section 26-517. Rent registration

a. Each housing accommodation which is
  subject to this law shall be registered by the owner  thereof  with  the
  state  division  of  housing  and community renewal prior to July first,
  nineteen hundred eighty-four upon forms prescribed by the  commissioner.
  The  data  to be provided on such forms shall include the following: (1)
  the  name  and  address  of  the  building  or  group  of  buildings  or
  development in which such housing accommodation is located and the owner
  and  the tenant thereof; (2) the number of housing accommodations in the
  building or group of buildings or  development  in  which  such  housing
  accommodation  is  located;  (3) the number of housing accommodations in
  such building or group of buildings or development subject to this  code
  and  the  number  of  such  housing  accommodations subject to the local
  emergency housing  rent  control  act;  (4)  the  rent  charged  on  the
  registration   date;   (5)   the   number   of  rooms  in  such  housing
  accommodation; and (6) all  services  provided  on  the  date  that  the
  housing accommodation became subject to this chapter.
    a-1.  Within  thirty  days of changing his address, the managing agent
  or, if there is no managing agent, the owner, of a building or group  of
  buildings  or  development,  such  agent or owner shall advise the state
  division of housing and community renewal and all  tenants  of  his  new
  address.
    b.  Registration  pursuant to this section shall not be subject to the
  freedom  of  information  law  provided  that  registration  information
  relative to a tenant, owner, lessor or subtenant shall be made available
  to such party or his or her authorized representative.
    c.  Housing  accommodations which become subject to this chapter after
  the initial registration period must be registered  within  ninety  days
  thereafter.  Registration of housing accommodations subject to the local
  emergency housing rent control act immediately  prior  to  the  date  of
  initial  registration  as  provided  in  this  section shall include, in
  addition to the items listed above, where  existing,  the  maximum  base
  rent  immediately  prior  to  the  date that such housing accommodations
  become subject to this chapter.
    d. Copies of the registration shall be filed with the  state  division
  of  housing  and  community  renewal  in  such place or places as it may
  require.  In addition, one copy of  that  portion  of  the  registration
  statement  which  pertains  to  the  tenant's unit must be mailed by the
  owner to the tenant in possession at the time of initial registration or
  to the first tenant in occupancy if the apartment is vacant at the  time
  of initial registration.
    e.  The  failure  to  file  a proper and timely initial or annual rent
  registration statement shall, until such time as  such  registration  is
  filed,  bar  an owner from applying for or collecting any rent in excess
  of the legal regulated rent in effect on the date of the last  preceding
  registration  statement  or  if  no such statements have been filed, the
  legal  regulated  rent  in  effect  on  the  date   that   the   housing
  accommodation  became  subject  to the registration requirements of this
  section.  The  filing  of  a  late  registration  shall  result  in  the
  prospective elimination of such sanctions and provided that increases in
  the  legal  regulated  rent were lawful except for the failure to file a
  timely registration, the owner, upon the service and filing  of  a  late
  registration,  shall not be found to have collected an overcharge at any
  time prior to  the  filing  of  the  late  registration.  If  such  late
  registration  is  filed  subsequent  to  the  filing  of  an  overcharge
  complaint, the owner shall be assessed a late filing surcharge for  each
  late registration in an amount equal to fifty percent of the timely rent
  registration fee.

    f.  An annual statement shall be filed containing the current rent for
  each unit and such other information contained in subdivision a of  this
  section  as  shall  be required by the division. The owner shall provide
  each tenant then in occupancy with a copy of that portion of such annual
  statement as pertains to the tenant's unit.
    g.   Each  housing  accommodation  for  which  a  timely  registration
  statement was filed between April first,  nineteen  hundred  eighty-four
  and   June   thirtieth,   nineteen   hundred  eighty-four,  pursuant  to
  subdivision a of this section shall designate the rent charged on  April
  first,  nineteen  hundred  eighty-four,  as  the  rent  charged  on  the
  registration date.
    * NB Expires April 1, 2012