A 5308: Relates to prohibiting exemptions for owners of vacant or unoccupied storefront properties.
The bill aims to amend the real property tax law to prohibit exemptions for owners of vacant or unoccupied storefront properties. This means that if a commercial storefront property has been vacant or unoccupied for at least two years, the owner will not be eligible for an exemption under the law. The term "commercial storefront property" refers to any non-residential property used primarily for buying, selling, or providing goods or services, located on the ground floor or street level of a commercial building. The bill defines "vacant" as having minimal or no inanimate objects on the property, and "unoccupied" as lacking habitual presence of individuals primarily engaged in buying, selling, or providing goods or services. The bill takes effect immediately and applies to assessment rolls prepared on the basis of taxable status dates occurring on or after the effective date.
- What is the current status of A 5308?
- As of January 11, 2026, A 5308 is recorded as "Introduced": it has been introduced and is waiting for its first committee hearing or floor vote. The last recorded action, on January 7, 2026, was "referred to real property taxation".
- Did A 5308 pass?
- Not yet. A 5308 has been introduced and has not passed either house.
- Who wrote A 5308, and where is it now?
- A 5308 was authored by Asm. Micah Lasher with 1 coauthor. Its committee of record is Assembly Real Property Taxation.
| Jan. 07, 2026 | referred to real property taxation |
| Feb. 13, 2025 | referred to real property taxation |
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5308 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY February 13, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. LASHER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Real Property Taxation AN ACT to amend the real property tax law, in relation to prohibiting exemptions for owners of vacant or unoccupied storefront properties The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The real property tax law is amended by adding a new 2 section 498 to read as follows: 3 § 498. Prohibition on eligibility of exemptions for owners of vacant 4 or unoccupied storefront properties. 1. Notwithstanding any other 5 provision of law, any owner of a commercial storefront property shall 6 not be eligible for an exemption under this chapter on such property if 7 the property has been vacant or unoccupied for at least two years. 8 2. For purposes of this section: 9 (a) "commercial storefront property" shall mean any non-residential 10 property that may be used primarily for the buying, selling or otherwise 11 providing of goods or services, which is located on the ground floor or 12 street level of a commercial building; 13 (b) "vacant" shall mean minimal or no inanimate objects on such prop- 14 erty; and 15 (c) "unoccupied" shall mean a lack of habitual presence of individuals 16 primarily engaged in buying, selling or otherwise providing goods or 17 services. 18 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to assess- 19 ment rolls prepared on the basis of taxable status dates occurring on or 20 after such date. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD08493-01-5