NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — A judge has ordered City Hall to turn over written communications between the Mayor’s Office and the Rent Guidelines Board that took place before the board approved a historic rent freeze on rent-stabilized apartments last June.
The order stems from a lawsuit filed by a group of landlords seeking to overturn the rent freeze. The landlords argue the board’s decision was the result of improper influence from Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani’s administration and claim the vote fulfilled a campaign promise rather than an independent review of the data.
According to court filings, the judge directed the city to produce “all written communication” between Jan. 1 and June 26, the day the board voted to freeze rents on one- and two-year leases for more than one million rent-stabilized apartments. Lawyers for the city had argued the communications were not necessary for the court to decide the case.
Randy Mastro, representing the landlords, said the records request “goes to the heart of our position that this was a sham process with a predetermined outcome” and argued communications between the mayor’s office and a board that is supposed to operate independently could be relevant to the case.
The city has denied allegations that it improperly influenced the board’s decision. The lawsuit, which was filed after the board approved the rent freeze in June, remains pending.
The vote froze rents for both one-year and two-year leases for the city’s one million rent-regulated apartments.
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