ALBANY-With the state’s rent regulation laws expiring today, the New York Times reported that Albany lawmakers are mulling a decision to simply extend the laws or strengthen them. As the clock ticks, a partisan divide is emerging: Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Democrats in the state legislature are pushing to limit the amount a landlord could charge for over one million apartments within New York City and its surrounding suburbs, while Republicans oppose the measure, the article notes.

In April, the Democratic-controlled New York State Assembly voted 95-54 on a proposal to extend current rent regulation laws until June 2016. The Assembly also voted to repeal the state’s vacancy decontrol law, which permits landlords to remove apartments from rent regulation in New York City when the apartment becomes vacant. Under current law, when tenants in a rent-regulated apartment move out and the apartment rent is over $2,000 a month, the vacated unit is no longer subject to rent regulations, according to Assembly documents.

The bill also raises luxury decontrol thresholds to $3,000 per month in rent, and $300,00 per year in income. In addition, it allows all former federal Section 8 housing to be subject to rent regulation, even if constructed after January 1974. Assemblymember Richard N. Gottfried (D-75^th District), supported the measure, calling vacancy decontrol as a “Pandora’s Box” of unethical housing practices. “It has made it difficult for working families to find affordable housing,” he said in a statement after the vote. “It gives landlords an incentive to drive out existing tenants in rent-regulated apartments so they can charge inflated market rents to the next tenants.”