Virginia K. Smith

When the Rent Guidelines Board voted on a one-percent allowable rent increase for stabilized apartments last year, it was the lowest such ratio in 45 years. Still, what Mayor Bill de Blasio really wanted was a full-on rent freeze, and this year, it might actually happen, the New York Post reports.

In case your office's bleary-eyed intern hasn't already informed you, today's 4/20, the closest thing pot-smoking has to a dedicated national holiday. And whether you've taken the entire day off to order Domino's and play Xbox, have plans to cruise St. Marks for a new skull-shaped bong after work, or are just bracing for your building's hallways to smell a little worse than usual, we've pulled our favorite weed-related stories from the archives for your enjoyment:

Q: I own two co-op units in Forest Hills that I’ve combined. We obtained all the necessary approvals and permits, but the board did not obtain a revised Certificate of Occupancy when the work was done. When I was refinancing a line of credit obtained on one of the units prior to the combination, my lender balked due to the fact that on the C of O, the two units are not combined. Is the co-op required to obtain an amended C of O for a combination?

Haven't you always wanted to make your apartment look like something out of the Sims? (Village Voice)

Why brokers aren't "parasites," according to a broker (Gothamist)

There's a new app to help you get out of your lease (The Awl)

On the heels of a report showing that a neighborhood's tree situation is strongly correlated to income levels (more green leads to more green, as a rule), Brooklyn web developer  Jill Hubley has made a handy map of New York's tree density and species breakdown, neighborhood by neighborhood and block by block.

You know that whole thing where Airbnb in New York is technically legal if the host is still staying in the apartment? That set-up comes with, shall we say, a few downsides. PBS video series Everything But The News made a video that perfectly encapsulates everything awkward about sharing your vacation rental with its actual tenant, and why even the worst Airbnb host can still have pages upon pages of sparkling reviews. As always, caveat emptor. Or, rather, caveat renter.

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