NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) – In a city full of tenant woes, these landlords are the worst of the worst, according to Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
Williams on Wednesday released his annual list of New York City’s 100 worst landlords. To see the full list, click here.
The top two worst landlords, Margaret Brunn and Donald Hastings, both work for A&E Real Estate Holdings and have more violations than anyone in the list’s history, Williams said. It’s the first year the top two landlords work for the same company, Williams said.
The city recently won a settlement for tenants in an Upper West Side building in A&E Real Estate’s control. The company will be required to pay $2.1 million to correct violations.
“This list is most powerful when used for organizing,” Williams said.
Williams noted the New York City Housing Authority would “far surpass anyone on the list” if it were a private owner.
“Perpetual mismanagement of NYCHA has made the city itself the worst overall landlord for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers,” Williams said.
These are the top 10 worst landlords in New York City, according to Public Advocate Jumaane Williams:
Margaret Brunn
4,872 HPD violations across 24 buildings
Donald Hastings
3,889 HPD violations across 36 buildings
Barry Singer
2,885 HPD violations across 15 buildings
Joseph Cafiero
2,871 HPD violations across 19 buildings
Peter Fine
2,206 HPD violations across 7 buildings
Robyn Lucas
2,101 HPD violations across 14 buildings
Yonatan Bahumi
1,801 HPD violations across 34 buildings
Claudette Henry
1,738 HPD violations across 25 buildings
Joseph Pistilli
1,656 HPD violations across 8 buildings
David Tennenbaum
1,549 HPD violations across 14 buildings
A&E Real Estate Holdings did not immediately respond to PIX11 News’ request for comment.
Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter who has covered New York City since 2023 after reporting in Los Angeles for years. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here.
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