a. The city rent agency is authorized to make such studies and investigations, to conduct such hearings, and to obtain such information as it deems necessary or proper in prescribing any regulation or order pursuant to this chapter or in administering and enforcing this chapter and the regulations and orders thereunder or the state rent act and the regulations and orders thereunder.
b. The city rent agency is further authorized, by regulation or order, to require any person who rents or offers for rent or acts as broker or agent for the rental of any housing accommodations to furnish any such information under oath or affirmation, or otherwise, to make and keep records and other documents, and to make reports, including, but not limited to, reports with respect to decontrolled or exempt housing accommodations, and the city rent agency may require any such person to permit the inspection and copying of records and other documents and the inspection of housing accommodations. Any officer or agent designated by the city rent agency for such purposes may administer oaths and affirmations and may, whenever necessary, by subpoena, require any such person to appear and testify or to appear and produce documents, or both, at any designated place.
c. For the purpose of obtaining any information under this section, the city rent agency may by subpoena require any other person to appear and testify or to appear and produce documents, or both, at any designated place.
d. The production of a person's documents at any place other than his or her place of business shall not be required under this section in any case in which, prior to the return date specified in the subpoena issued with respect thereto, such person either has furnished the city rent agency with a copy of such documents certified by such person under oath to be a true and correct copy, or has entered into a stipulation with the city rent agency as to the information contained in such documents.
e. In case of contumacy by, or refusal to obey a subpoena served upon, any person referred to in this section, the supreme court in or for any judicial district in which such person is found or resides or transacts business, upon application by the city rent agency, shall have jurisdiction to issue an order requiring such person to appear and give testimony or to appear and produce documents, or both; and any failure to obey such order of the court may be punished by such court as a contempt thereof. The provisions of this subdivision e shall be in addition to the provisions of paragraph (a) of subdivision nine of section one of the state enabling act and subdivision a of section 26-412 of this chapter.
f. Witnesses subpoenaed under this section shall be paid the same fee and mileage as are paid witnesses pursuant to the civil practice law and rules.
g. Upon any such investigation or hearing, the city rent agency, or an officer duly designated by the city rent agency to conduct such investigation or hearing, may confer immunity in accordance with the provisions of the criminal procedure law.
h. The city rent agency shall not publish or disclose any information obtained under this chapter that the city rent agency deems confidential or with reference to which a request for confidential treatment is made by the person furnishing such information, unless the city rent agency determines that the withholding thereof is contrary to the public interest.
i. Any person subpoenaed under this section shall have the right to make a record of his or her testimony and to be represented by counsel.
j. Without limiting any power granted by this section or any other provision of law, the city rent agency may by regulation require the owner of a building or property containing both housing accommodations subject to this chapter and housing accommodations subject to chapter four of this title to execute and file registration statements with respect to the housing accommodations subject to this chapter along with those filed pursuant to such chapter four. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, such agency may promulgate regulations, and take other necessary or appropriate actions, pursuant to this subdivision prior to April first, nineteen hundred eighty-four, to take effect on or after such date.