You are reading

De Blasio Signs Relief Bills Into Law, Aims to Help Small Businesses

Mayor Bill de Blasio signs seven pieces of legislation providing relief for tenants, commercial establishments, and restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic. City Hall. Tuesday, May 26, 2020. (Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)

May 27, 2020 By Michael Dorgan

The mayor has signed several new bills into law to support small businesses during the COVID-19 shutdown.

Mayor Bill de Blasio signed the legislation Tuesday after the City Council passed the relief measures earlier this month.

The legislation slaps price caps on third-party food delivery services and extends the suspension of sidewalk cafe fees to help struggling small businesses, the mayor said at a press briefing.

The new laws also protect commercial tenants from landlord harassment and personal liability, he said.

De Blasio said the new laws offer sweeping protections for small business owners at a time of economic crisis.

“New Yorkers have been fighting every day to flatten the curve and get through this pandemic together,” the mayor said. “Now, it’s time for us to give back to them,” he said.

Two new laws aim to clamp down on what delivery app companies can charge restaurants. One law prohibits app companies from charging restaurants for telephone orders that do not result in an actual sale.

Ordering app companies will also not be able to charge more than 15 percent commission on deliveries and more than 5 percent for all other charges, including credit card processing.

These caps will only apply whenever there is a state of emergency such as COVID-19. Both bills will take effect June 2 and will last for 90 days after the end of a declared emergency.

Indoor sidewalk cafe fees for restaurants will be suspended until Feb. 28, 2021, and outdoor sidewalk cafes fees will be on hold for the duration of the pandemic.

The legislation also takes aim at commercial landlords who threaten to evict struggling tenants–specifically those who have lost business due to COVID-19. Furthermore, landlords are temporarily barred from going after the personal assets of these tenants if they cannot meet their lease obligations.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Fall fun in western Queens: Your guide to the best seasonal events

Aug. 29, 2025 By Jessica Militello

With beach days and summer BBQs behind us, the start of September rings in the start of magnificent Fall foliage, Halloween and more fun activities that come with the start of Autumn, including a list of Fall events in the area. From apple picking to seasonal ciders and more, there is tons to explore in the community. From Mystic Markets to scary movie meet-ups and more, here is a list of Fall events you do not want to miss.

Fresh Meadows MS-13 gang associate sentenced to nearly a half-century in prison for murder of Corona teen in Kissena Park: Feds

An MS-13 gang associate from Fresh Meadows was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison on Tuesday, Aug. 26, for the 2018 slaying of a Corona teenager in Flushing’s Kissena Park.

Juan Amaya-Ramirez, 27, and his co-defendant Oscar Flores-Mejia, 25, from Elmhurst, who is also an associate of the transnational criminal organization, pleaded guilty to the murder of 17-year-old Andy Peralta in Brooklyn federal court last September.

AG’s office launches investigation into death of man run over by police officer in Flushing Meadows Corona Park

The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigations (OSI) has launched a probe into the death of a civilian on Saturday, Aug. 23, following a motor vehicle collision involving NYPD officers in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

At approximately 4:37 p.m., an NYPD officer from the 110th Precinct in Elmhurst was driving westbound in a marked police cruiser, a 2015 Ford Taurus, at around 10 miles per hour in front of the Queens Theater on United Nations Avenue South, across from the Unisphere, when the vehicle ran over a man who was allegedly lying face up on the roadway prior to the collision, police said.