By COLlive reporter
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the launch of a joint enforcement task force, titled the Tenant Harassment Prevention Task Force, on Thursday.
With tenant harassment complaints in Housing Court nearly doubling since 2011, the task force will investigate and bring enforcement actions – including criminal charges – against landlords who harass tenants.
Previously, different local government agencies responded separately when owners have neglected their buildings and allowed them to fall into extreme disrepair.
The new task force will conduct joint cellar-to-roof inspections, coordinate enforcement actions, and when necessary speed the prosecution of predatory landlords who purposefully distress properties as a form of harassment in order to displace tenants and deregulate rent-stabilized apartments.
Since its inception, the New York State’s Division of Homes & Community Renewal Tenant Protection Unit (TPU) has recaptured more than 37,000 unlawfully deregulated apartments, returning them to rent regulation.
In response to the booming New York City real estate market, particularly in gentrifying neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Manhattan, some property owners are using harassment to force current occupants to vacate their apartments in order fetch higher rents or convert rent-regulated buildings to luxury condominiums.
“The tactics these landlords use are unethical and illegal and we will not stand by while landlords attempt to profit off our displacement,” said Donna Mossman, a rent-regulated tenant and member of the Crown Heights Tenant Union.
Under rent regulation, when a tenant vacates a rent-regulated apartment, the owner can automatically increase rents by 20 percent, and further increase rents by making apartment improvements. If the rent gets higher than $2,500 per month, the apartment automatically exits the rent regulation system and rent can be raised dramatically.
The task force is executing unannounced and joint inspections of buildings in New York City where landlords and management companies are suspected of using construction as a means to harass tenants. Following multiple joint on-site property inspections, the task force agencies have already substantiated a number of tenant complaints and the task force has several on-going investigations. The member agencies will pursue evidence of illegal acts, and lodge enforcement actions.
Incidents of harassment include:
· Landlords operating without proper permits;
· Construction projects operating in violation of stop work orders;
· Landlords who openly ignore requirements for tenant protection plans in order to contain the spread of lead and/or asbestos which may be exposed during renovation;
· Landlords removing essential systems, such as boilers and venting systems, in order make life unbearable for existing residents.
Tenants should continue to lodge complaints to HPD and DOB through 311. They may also report complaints online at www.ag.ny.gov/complaint-forms.
During the 1970s and the next few decades, the laws became more and more protective of the rights of tenants. This was necessary, for sure. BUT, the laws are way too difficult against the landlords now. Did you know that a person who’s in your home as a guest for more than a month can get away with staying longer and claiming that you agreed to rent to them for free? Sometimes that person can also behave in a manner that drives out the owner, and then that “guest” can make claim to take over your property, stealing it right… Read more »
During the 1970s and the next few decades, the laws became more and more protective of the rights of tenants. This was necessary, for sure. BUT, the laws are way too difficult against the landlords now. Did you know that a person who’s in your home as a guest for more than a month can get away with staying longer and claiming that you agreed to rent to them for free? Sometimes that person can also behave in a manner that drives out the owner, and then that “guest” can make claim to take over your property, stealing it right… Read more »
Move! No one is forcing you to live in Brooklyn, there are much cheaper places to live, places with better quality of life, places where it’s safe for kids to play outdoors, places with shuls and schools and everything a frum family needs, where you can buy a home for less than you are paying for rent in Brooklyn. If you opt to live in CH, don’t complain about prices, it’s the fact that you and others opt to live there that raises those prices in the first place.
Landlords are often mean stingy rich people who are willing to make a tenant miserable just to earn a few more dollars.
Tenants could also be unfair.
However there are already not enough apartments in Brooklyn. The more the landlords are regulated and prosecuted – the less people are willing to rent out, less people are willing to build and invest. – = Higher prices.
We each need Hashem’s brochos. No matter what someone does to us, please take a look at Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer, Siman 26 and the RaMo there before thinking about mesira.
Even in cases in which we’d be going lifnim mishuras hadin (and in most cases it’s not going “lifnim”), we all need for Hashem to deal with each of us lifnim mishuras hadin. And Hashem will certainly reward and bless.
I don’t either like the ridiculous prices of renting an apartment I don’t care about the excuse that the landlords keep saying that they need to live also they could live just fine even if it would be a bit cheaper its not fear how thees people take advantage of others its got to be stopped soon they are making it very difficult for people to live!
Our landlords can bring down the price to help frum yidden, instead they rent and sell to blacks and yuppies for more cash, forcing jews out of crown heights
Thank God we don’t have those issues in our neighborhood