Two New York retirees say a landmark rent rollback has not translated into a lower bill.
John and Gail Bechtold say their landlord kept charging the same amount even after New York's Division of Homes and Community Renewal found they were owed more than $10,000.
Here's what to know
A 2022 vote cut rents by 15% in Kingston's stabilized apartments, but as In These Times reported, the Bechtolds, both in their 80s, say they were still billed $1,700 a month for 39 straight months, or $221.74 more than they should have paid.
Roughly 90 miles north of Manhattan, Kingston became the first U.S. city to pursue this kind of rent rollback after housing costs climbed during the pandemic. Landlords took the measure to court, and many tenants say their monthly charges never reflected the reduction.
After New York's Court of Appeals upheld the cut in June 2025, the state Division of Homes and Community Renewal ordered Opus Management Group in July 2025 to repay the Bechtolds and pay treble damages on the overcharge.
The company has appealed the order.
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"They're not going to pay back. I don't trust these people for anything," Gail Bechtold said.
More background
The overcharges may reach nearly all of Kingston's 1,000-plus rent-stabilized apartments, and Marcie Kobak, director of litigation at Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, is representing nearly 100 tenants from the city who are trying to get repaid.
They also said their building has had mold, leaks, and plumbing issues while they live on a fixed retirement income.
What's being done?
Renters are getting help from the Hudson Valley Tenants Union, which is assisting with overcharge filings.
"The systems that we have are not really built for tenants. They're built fundamentally to protect property rights," said longtime organizer June Nemon.
According to Hudson Valley Justice Center attorney Ben Surface, organizing can narrow the information gap between tenants and landlords.
"What the tenants union is able to do is get neighbors talking to each other, so everybody is making decisions with full understanding of their rights," he said.
Kobak has also filed separate lawsuits alleging Kingston renters are collectively owed nearly $1.5 million. State Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha warned that limited state resources and weak enforcement could still make it difficult for tenants to recover that money.
"What [Opus] is doing to us as people that worked our whole lives, making it so unaffordable and not keeping the place clean, it's just a shame," Gail Bechtold said. "They're heartless people."
Where can I learn more?
Kingston's dispute over ordered rent cuts echoes fights elsewhere over what landlords can charge.
• In Redwood City, voters are weighing rent cap and rollback measures.
• One renter challenged $75 more for utilities after a landlord targeted EV charging.
• In Los Angeles, fire evacuees faced egregious rental prices as landlords pushed emergency limits.
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